Ultimate Secret Friends
by Ark19
Summary: Sometimes we all got a friend we don't tell others about. For Mikan, Peko and Akane this holds true. For all of them have something in common. And that is that they all have a secret friend. A friend no one in their class knows they have. And how do people react when they learn of this friend? Well, that is the situation Naegi finds himself in as he makes friends with them.
1. The secret friend of the Ultimate Nurse

**Hello! Well, this one been going around my head for a while after finishing Befriending the Two Sides of the Mirror. So let's go with this Danganronpa fanfiction! The killing game never happened in this AU. Take it pretty much as a school life story with the focus being on Mikan Tsumiki, Peko Pekoyama, Akane Owari and Makoto Naegi. Oh, as always, own nothing regarding Danganronpa.**

 **Here we go with: Ultimate Secret Friends.**

 **Chapter 1: The secret friend of the Ultimate Nurse.**

Is not weird to have a secret friend. Do you yourself have one? A friend you don't tell your friends of, by a myriad of reasons. It can be something as simple as not wanting to present him to your friends because they don't like them. Maybe they do not know he is your friend, and you want to keep it that way. Maybe you are scared he will start hanging more with your other friends. Maybe you just feel there will be conflict.

Maybe your secret friend will not be the same once he meets your friends and starts judging you. Maybe you are afraid they will steal him away. As said before, there is a myriad of reasons. What's more, is not hard to start fabricating more reasons as to why you don't reveal that secret friend.

A secret friend, in the end, is your friend. One you tell no one of, but as any other friend, maybe even more so, is on you trust to help you in a tight spot or when you need them the most. Sometimes is simply someone you enjoy chatting with during your free time. Someone who brings something new to your daily life. A secret friend is a precious thing you see.

For Mikan Tsumiki, a secret friend was a blessing she protected and kept with her life. No one knew of her secret friend. No one even knew she had a friend out of the classroom. Everyone who knew her also was in the knowledge of her meekness and shyness. The girl had a low self-esteem that made it hard for her to make friends. Nevertheless, she was a bully magnet due to the same thing. Therefore, it wasn't surprising she would spend time alone in the nurse office.

And it was in the office where she had made her secret friend already for the past month…

* * *

She had offered herself to work in there during her free time and help at any chance. Her talent made her happy. She could help others, and she liked helping those who were helpless and unable to do anything.

As the nurse, she had the full control.

Yet that didn't bring friendship to her. Nor any feels of contempt in it. Loneliness was her song, and heartache her dance partner in the ball.

"Well…today is rather slow…" Tsumiki sighed, with the fact today the school was having a sports festival she expected the nurse office to be full of hurt students. Yet it seemed not even one person was getting hurt. Which was good, but bad at the same time.

That was until she heard the sound of the office opening up

"Excuse me!" A kid with a hoodie and brown hair entered the office; Mikan took quickly to see all about him looking excitedly for any sort of injury. She seemingly couldn't see anything clearly bad, maybe it had to do with how he held his right hand. She got excited at the idea of a heavy injury hiding under the hood. Her questions were answered soon by him.

"I sprained my hand, is really light but I was sent here" As the boy mentioned his rendition of what happened. Tsumiki smiled as she approached with professionalism at the sprained right hand.

"Don't worry, I will fix it" Makoto Naegi. The so-called Lucky student of his class was impressed with the look in the eyes of the girl nursing him. With efficiency and little problem at all managed to get his hand bandaged and make the sprain feel as if it went away. Once she was finished and she nodded at her own work her demeanor of professionalism faded.

Instead, Makoto Naegi was met with the meek and shy nurse.

"Well… all good… you can go now…" She felt afraid. Now that he was well, surely the boy would bully her. She was ready though… the bullying was about to come in any moment now.

"Thank you! It feels better now, oh, I am Makoto Naegi, a pleasure to meet you" Naegi offered a small bow to her. He felt thankful to the girl and waited to know her name.

Tsumiki was confused and happy. Elated even. Someone who was better wasn't bullying her but was offering his thanks and even presenting at her. Her eyes opened. He presented himself. She had to do the same!

"M-My name is Mikan Tsumiki…" What else could she say? He had said it was a pleasure to meet her… her! She had to say something else!

"F-from the b-bottom of my heart, I hope we can get along" Oh no, surely the boy would now bully her. Saying sincerely her thoughts had sounded desperate!

But the things didn't go the way she expected. Instead, she was shown an honest smile from Makoto Naegi. A smile that he without knowing would end up causing a series of events that would lead to a friendship.

"Is a pleasure to meet you Tsumiki!" Naegi smiled at her and felt happy. He had heard from others that the nurse in the office was a student. A weird one at that and that it was better to avoid her. Yet seeing her in front of him made him reaffirm that rumors were not a reliable source. Mikan Tsumiki seemed to be quite nice.

"I am sure we will be good friends" The thought escaped Naegi as he spoke it. He always liked to be friends with everyone. Even those who seemed rough or mean. Naegi had a weird way of working his way through the solid walls people made. He wasn't conscious himself of it. Nevertheless, it happened. Makoto Naegi was someone who could make his way through the sturdiest of emotional walls and make friends.

He didn't know it. He would never really know it. However, speaking up the words to Mikan Tsumiki brought feelings in her she never thought would come, the smile had opened the door, and the words he spoke gave him entry.

Mikan Tsumiki thoughts were a mess of elated feelings. A friend. Someone had spoken with her with kindness. Even going as far as offering a smile to her and saying they could be friends!

" …Hehehehe!" The feelings inside her that had brought the elation were now bringing her uncontrollable laughing. She took notice of Naegi looking at her and spoke.

"Ah! I-I'm sorry! I-It's just… I can't help it, I am so happy! I can't remember the last time I made any friends…..Ah" She placed both of her hands over her mouth noticing what she had said. Now surely Naegi would not want to be friends with her.

She had been too presumptuous. Surely, Naegi didn't want to be friends with her. She had screwed up the only chance she had…

"Well…I am your friend now right? So the last time you made a friend was today right Tsumiki?" Naegi smiled at her. And she spoke with the decision in her voice.

"Call me Mikan" She was perplexed at herself. She couldn't believe she just demanded. Because that was the word, she didn't ask nor requested. She demanded him to call her Mikan. She had to fix her mistake fast before her chance of a friend went away.

"My friends call me Mikan, s-so I would like for you to call me that way since we are friends… b-because we are friends right?" She hoped she didn't screw up her chance. She was waiting for a harsh rebuttal at her; she closed her eyes readying herself. Instead, she got a question.

"We are friends Mikan…I mean… do you want to be my friend?" Naegi smiled at her. Mikan had opened her eyes and looked at Naegi. In her face was a smile as she once again started to laugh.

That day. The infamous nurse of the school and the unlucky student became secret friends.

* * *

A month had already passed from that day. No one in the class of Mikan knew the girl who helped in the nurse office had a friend. In the same way, no one knew that Naegi was friends with the ultimate nurse.

On Mikan side, this was due to her wish to keep Naegi away from everyone in her class. While some weren't bad as per say. She wasn't sure she wanted to risk Naegi to stop spending time with her in favor of seeing the others members of her class. Some were more interesting, smarter, more beautiful than her… she wasn't sure it would be good to risk Naegi meeting them and that he stopped spending time with her.

Naegi simply didn't mention it. He wasn't trying by any means to hide his friendship with Mikan. The thing was it simply never came as a theme of conversation. Naegi wasn't one to boast or speak of things when no one asked. He was one who flowed and actually was happier hearing his friends speaking of what they did and what they were managing to achieve. Naegi was the kind of friend who was the best at cheering others and hearing them.

So while things were made for different reasons. The result was the same. No one knew of the friendship shared by Mikan Tsumiki and Makoto Naegi.

No one knew how much the nurse enjoyed chatting with the student she later learned was younger than her. No one knew how much Naegi liked to listen to her speaking of how she helped people in the office. In the end, both found a nice feeling in the friendship they had been building step by step.

Moreover, that brought both of them to a secluded part of the school as they were eating lunch. Mikan had chosen the place as it was secluded from other parts of the school and no one was around. It offered a safe spot for her to eat her lunch alone without anyone who might hurt her.

After the first week of being friends with Naegi, she had decided to invite him to eat in her secret spot. Needless to say, it was a surprising fact for him that Mikan would eat her lunch alone. He didn't get it how could people bully someone as kind as her. All she wanted was to help people with her talent.

During the lunch, Mikan spoke to Naegi.

"Naegi… do you have many friends?" She had been avoiding the question. Honestly, it had taken her a whole month of chatting with her junior to feel brave enough as to ask. She feared the answer.

Naegi nodded before speaking.

"Yeah, all my friends are the members of my class" He spoke with cheer in his voice as he started listing all of them. From the leader of a biker gang called Mondo to someone who in the opinion of Mikan sounded like a bully called Togami. He kept listing everyone and with every new name, Mikan felt she was being buried in a grave, and each new name made sure it was a deep one.

"Oh…I-Its great…I guess you surely want to spend more time with them…" She felt sad. However, it was needed, she couldn't keep retaining Naegi. Surely, he would prefer to be with his other friends.

"Oh. Well, I like to spend time with them. But, right now I am spending time with you, Mikan! I always like to have lunch with you" Naegi smiled and kept eating.

Mikan was sure that Naegi was committing a crime by smiling so much. She was feeling way too elated, she could burst in happiness. She would later look if it were illegal to make someone so happy. Naegi was great, but the last thing she wanted was for him to end up in jail for her fault.

She started to laugh at her thoughts.

Naegi had become used at hearing the laugh of Mikan and it only managed to make him smile, he often wondered what kind of thoughts were going in her head. What was so funny that she would always laugh every time they got together to have lunch. Plus she always had a sweet laugh in his opinion. Not that he would admit that aloud. Even less in the presence of the person.

This manages to make Naegi get his cheeks reddened. At the sight, Mikan laugh stopped as she approached Naegi with the professionalism of her title as the ultimate nurse.

"Naegi? Are you okay? Your cheeks got red!" She took a thermometer out of a pocket in her clothes and placed it in his mouth. Naegi was feeling embarrassed. Yet Mikan was confused as she took the reading of the thermometer.

"Eh? It says you are okay… I might need to get a new one… how are you feeling?" She looked with concern at him before he spoke.

"I am okay Mikan, don't worry really. I am fine" Naegi smiled, still looking a bit red on his face. But, if Mikan had learned something during the month of friendship with Naegi. Was the fact he was honest. He couldn't lie. As literally could say lies. She actually loved that particular part of his personality.

It had been funny when he brought a lunch to her and he denied he had made it himself. Needless to say, she had a hard time getting her emotions in check as she thought her heart would burst out in happiness at being given a lunch by a friend.

The conversation kept going and Naegi asked something to Mikan, something he had been himself curious for the past month.

"Do you have many friends Mikan?" He smiled with happiness. Surely, she must have other friends in her class. Just like, he became friends with the others. He felt a bit saddened at the fact Mikan raised three fingers.

"I got…t-three friends…" Mikan felt saddened. Surely, Naegi would go away after hearing such a thing.

"Oh, am I included?" Naegi spoke softly at her.

Mikan eyes opened up at the question. She smiled while nodding and spoke happily.

"O-Of course! Ibuki, Mahiru, and y-you are my friends" She felt happy speaking of her friends. Naegi smiled at the knowledge that Mikan had some friends. Especially considering what he had learned during their month of friendship.

Mikan could be shy, but she could also be clumsy, and who knows how she managed to fall in… embarrassing poses.

"I am glad to know you got friends in your class Mikan" As he kept smiling Mikan felt happy.

She nodded at his words; truly, the world seemed to shine just a bit more when in the presence of Naegi. She was thankful he would spend time with her. What's more, he had been clear he always enjoyed their lunches together.

As she kept eating, she thought about the state of things.

Mainly speaking about her friendship with Naegi. She was happy. But really she wanted to invite him to see a movie, maybe buy new bandages for the school. Nevertheless, that was risky. Mainly speaking it was risky because either Ibuki or Mahiru could see her. And if they saw her… well, it wasn't like they were bad people. Is just once they learned of it, it was hard for the rest of the class to not know about it.

In the end, things would probably end up going haywire and she would find herself losing her secret friend. And that would mean she would lose her chance to chat… Ibuki was nice but she would often keep speaking so much she would not let anyone else utter a word. Worst, she would interrupt any chance of speaking.

What's more, Naegi was really kind and gentle. He would let Ibuki speak everything and he would even keep on listening with that smile of his… she had to avoid Ibuki of ever stealing Naegi away. Mahiru would end up requesting his help to take photographs, and as Naegi is not one to say no he would probably accept and when he saw how interesting Mahiru is, he would end up going away.

What's even worse! Both of them were cute! Who was she to say Naegi wouldn't abandon her for cute girls?!

"Mikan are you okay?" Naegi looked at her with concern as she had been quiet and suddenly started to look distressed the more her silence endured. She suddenly took him by the shoulders as she spoke.

"Naegi! D-Don't go for looks! T-There are things more important than looks in life!" She spoke with urgency.

Naegi eyes opened at this. However, he didn't understand why she reacted like that and could only chuckle and nod.

"Sure Mikan, I will focus on the important things in life" He kept his smile and his positive attitude making her smile.

Mikan visibly relaxed and sighed.

"Really Naegi… you are cool" She smiled this time.

* * *

Both resumed eating their lunch as time was passing by and soon would be time to go back to class. Mikan was visibly happier at the end of the lunch than at the beginning of it. She decided to act like a proper student and offered her hand to Naegi.

"Allow me to take you to your classroom, as I am older is only natural I do it" She smiled. But suddenly she got into a mess in her head. It sounded as if she was taking her date back to its home. Before she could ponder more about it Naegi nodded.

"Sure, I might be able to present you to some of my friends!" Naegi was positive that his friends would like Mikan. At this Mikan paled a bit before speaking.

"L-Lets leave that one for later… for now, let us go to your class" As she composed herself and walked by his side.

Naegi was in thought. Maybe she was busy. Surely some other time she would be able to present her to his class, he was sure everyone would love her. At least they wouldn't bully her… maybe he would need to give Mondo a heads up that day to try to not intimidate her… who was he kidding? He could not stop Mondo from being himself. He would need to give the heads up to Mikan.

Maybe Sakura would also like Mikan, she often got some training injuries, so surely she would like to take advice from her?

Countless thoughts and possibilities to help Mikan have more friends went through his mind as they were making the road for his class.

Sadly Mikan didn't count on something.

She wasn't counting on the fact that no one had seen her with Naegi because they never met in the school halls, they would often see each other in the nurse office, that was even before they agreed on meeting on her secret spot to eat lunch.

Without knowing it she had made a risky decision. So risky in fact she didn't know that someone was taking pictures of the students crossing through the hallways to expose it as a work. She would call it _Those who walk through the halls._ The idea was taking photos of everyone in the school that went through the hallways. It might sound boring.

But those who thought like that were not Mahiru Koizumi.

She knew that in the school lots of stuff happened all the time. So she would capture those moments, those swift and fast moments people didn't notice. Moments such as a student entering with a motorcycle. On the other hand, a student running behind him managing to keep his rhythm.

Alternatively, two incredibly strong looking students walking. The school was a paradise for a photographer that knew there was a lot hiding in plain sight.

That's what differentiated her from others. She was willing to be patient and stay still to capture those moments.

"Come on… one more before class" She spoke with decision her eye never removing itself from the camera and keeping her hands steady to manage the proper focus.

She just wanted one last picture before going back to class. Anything would work. Even if she didn't use the picture for her work, she wanted to take the last picture.

Needless to say, the photographer was surprised at what she was seeing. It wasn't an explosion, it wasn't a robot or a walking bear that could speak and laughed in a creepy way. Oh no. it was something much more impressive. Something so fleeting no one could say they had ever seen it before. This was the white whale of the sea. This was Moby Dick for her.

"Mikan-chan… is smiling"

It was thanks to her discipline as a photographer that she managed to keep the focus and capture the fleeting moment of Mikan smiling while captured in conversation with another student. One that she knew wasn't in her class. Otherwise, she would remember taking a photo of him.

This was interesting.

She saw Mikan waving at the boy who entered his classroom. Mikan spun in the direction for her classroom and once she got inside she saw Mahiru. She was beaming with happiness. That wasn't weird for Mikan. Mahiru was positive all the time. What was weird was the fact she didn't seem able to formulate words to speak.

Entering her professional demeanor as a nurse, she approached Mahiru. Better, make sure she wasn't choking.

"Mahiru? Are you well? What's happening?" She tried to look for signs of choking or lack of air. However, all she got in exchange was a squealing Mahiru who took her in a hug. She couldn't contain herself.

"Look at you! Playing it all suave with a younger student! So what's his name! How did you become friends?" Mahiru kept smiling the whole time happy for her friend. Mikan became a mess of limbs as she placed her hands over the mouth of Mahiru.

"Don't say it! I don't want anyone else knowing of him!" Mahiru seemingly stopped trying to speak and nodded. She understood her friend.

"Hi! Got any cool photos Mahiru?" Ibuki Mioda came walking with happiness in her step at seeing her two friends having fun. She didn't get why were Mikan hands covering the mouth of Mahiru. However, she guessed it was a new game of those that suddenly came around.

Mahiru nodded still with the hands of Mikan over her mouth as she passed her camera to Ibuki for her to see.

"Let's see….look here!" Ibuki showed them the screen as she was seeing the photos and showed them the most recent. In which a smiling Mikan was speaking with a younger student who wore a hoodie.

"Muah-haha! Someone is truly daring! So who is your new friend? Can Ibuki meet him?" Ibuki smiled beaming at the prospect of meeting the newest friend of Mikan. If Mikan liked someone, they had to be truly and absolutely without a shadow of doubt nice. She was dying to know about him.

Mikan Tsumiki considered herself a lucky person even with all the stuff that usually happened around her. Naegi had told her of how he wasn't all that lucky. Rather unlucky stuff happened when he least expect it.

Maybe this such a situation? She decided next time she saw Naegi she would give him a candy or something. Whoever endured this sort of situations on a daily basis was in serious need of something to make the pain lighter.

"Ugh!" She groaned as both of her friends started to ask questions regarding who was the student. Ibuki keen eye was even able to notice by the picture that the class they were going to was of a younger student.

Mahiru confirmed the thoughts of Ibuki by saying how Mikan had made sure he went to class, making the other laugh and making Mikan wishing she could fake an illness to go away.

"Hah! I knew it! You are truly more daring than what I expected! Ibuki knew you were able to play it all suave with others!" Ibuki was chuckling as she hugged Mikan.

Mahiru nodded to the words of Ibuki before raising her camera.

"So, you are going to share, or do I need to look for him myself?" She smirked and almost laughed at the despairing expression of Mikan who noticed she wasn't getting out of this situation.

The worst scenario happened in a way. Ibuki and Mahiru found out she had a secret friend. Now she would need to speak about it.

Really, what else could happen?!

"Excuse me, the class is starting soon, go back to your desks… please" Said a firm voice.

Peko Pekoyama adjusted her glasses. She looked at the trio making a ruckus with disinterest. Whatever happened it was their deal. But they shouldn't interrupt the order of the class. Normally she would have been a bit harsher in her wording. But her friend had been clear that things went better when done with kindness and a smile.

She wasn't one to smile. So she could only follow the first part of his advice.

"Oh, sure, sorry Pekoyama" Mahiru took both Ibuki and Mikan away.

Peko adjusted her glasses one last time before going to sit in her own desk close to Fuyuhiko. The same one spoke seeing her sitting.

"You have been acting… less extreme recently… anything good happening recently?" He asked with curiosity. Many might not notice it, but as they were close, he noticed the slight change in the actions she took.

Peko denied with a wave of her head.

"Nothing new young master… mind if I take a rest today?" She spoke with the same seriousness as always. Fuyuhiko was actually glad she took rests. It was a bit straining for him to have her always so close. Recently she had taken to ask for a rest occasionally since last week. Which he was glad to let her have.

"Sure, enjoy your rest Peko. I will see you later" He offered a court nod and she did the same.

Peko was smiling inside. She would have felt saddened if she had been unable to attend the appointment she had asked herself after all.

"Thanks young master" Fuyuhiko did not notice it. For even to him it was hard to notice the lace of happiness in her tone.

* * *

 **CUT!**

 **Well, this was fun! Personally, I think I love writing Danganronpa the most. Reviews are welcome and appreciated! May we all enjoy the journey this story offers! See you all in the next chapter!**

 **Chapter 2: The secret friend of the Ultimate Swordswoman**


	2. The secret friend of the Swordswoman

**Chapter 2: The secret friend of the ultimate Swordswoman.**

Peko Pekoyama. The ultimate Swordswoman. Often she has been called intimidating, sometimes she has been considered as cold and rather disinterested by her classmates. Thing that's not the case at all. She is actually a caring person. Her heart is as big as her ability with the sword, and she is the best with a sword.

Is just she had forgotten how to smile. How to express her emotions, as a tool got no use for them.

Sadly, this had a devastating result for her. For she found herself unable to smile. She just couldn't smile, and that brought quite the difficulties in speaking with her classmates. Honestly, she could only count four friends. Three which were of her class… was three a good number though?

As she was in thought, she reflected on the names of her friends. There was no doubt Fuyuhiko was a friend. Her teacher, Chisa was a friend… yeah it did counted. There was also Chiaki… and…

Yeah she was drawing blanks. Mioda and Koizumi were more friends of Tsukimi than her… Mioda would call her Peko Peko… but honestly she didn't felt they were really friends.

So she had a technical number of six friends and four real friends. The last friend to count was her secret friend.

She had met him by walking around the park. She had decided to leave Fuyuhiko alone to think for a while. She was in thought regarding around the idea that she might have become unable to smile ever again…

* * *

It was a normal day. She was alone at the park walking while looking to the lake. She thought seeing her reflection would help her smile. But as much as she tried to smile she found herself unable to make it. She just couldn't smile. She was sighing as she heard someone approaching.

She didn't feel worried or threatened, whoever they might be, she could deal with them in a second with her sword. Her assailant would learn how much a training sword could hurt even if it didn't cut.

To her surprise, her assailant seemed to be a fool for he spoke behind her.

"Hey… are you okay?" The voice spoke with kindness and what seemed to be a worry in the tone of its voice.

Peko Pekoyama was surprised. Not for the identity of her to be assailant as she didn't know him. What surprised her was the smile. A boy with brown hair wearing a hoodie was smiling at her. Moreover, that smile. It came simply to him; she knew no one could fake a smile like that. No, he was seriously smiling and asking her if she was okay.

"Yeah, I am fine. Thank you for asking" Peko nodded at him before he kept on his smile and offered his hand.

"I am Makoto Naegi. I think you are from the school too right? Hope Peak?" Peko was impressed at his smile. She knew she needed to learn how to smile like that.

"Peko Pekoyama, indeed. I am a second year, is a pleasure to meet you Naegi" She took his hand accepting the handshake.

Needless to say, Naegi was impressed at her strength as she showed in her grip. He smiled before speaking.

"I…I don't think you are fine though… you seem…" Naegi was looking for the proper word.

Peko already knew what word was going to come out of his mouth. The same words that always came from others trying to look at her. Angry, intimidating, disinterested, bothered…

"You look sad" Naegi ended up speaking what he honestly thought at that moment.

Needless to say. She found herself surprised. She was indeed sad. It was a new one that someone who wasn't Fuyuhiko understood what she was thinking.

"…Yeah, a bit" She wasn't sure why she felt like speaking to him.

But there was just something in Naegi that made her feel like speaking. Pretty much, it was due to the fact he had managed to tell how she actually felt. Moreover, he didn't seem to be intimidated by the fact her expression looked serious all the time.

Makoto Naegi. There was something in him that just made you wish to keep on speaking. Be of anything, but she just wanted to keep chatting.

Therefore, she did just that. She kept on talking. Simply talking.

About how she was a tool. How she was the friend of Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu and his shield and sword. She ended up speaking of things she didn't speak with Fuyuhiko, like the incident with a cat. She loved animals…

"He looked like a panda. He had black and white in his fur… and when I approached him the poor thing left running… I guess I ended up intimidating him"

She sighed. Yet she saw Naegi smiling. She was feeling envious of how easily he could smile. What's more, that smile just made her feel better. It made problems seemingly fade away. Making them insignificant. She wanted to smile like that.

"How do you do it Naegi? How can you just smile like that?" She was serious. Naegi had spoken with her too, about how he was unlucky even though he was the school lucky student like her classmate Nagito Komaeda.

She just didn't get how Naegi could smile so easily. Not after all the stuff that happened to him on a daily basis.

"Well… I just feel happy Pekoyama… I think things will go well. So as long as I keep that hope I can smile. I mean, today I tripped and ended up later stepping on a can and that ended up throwing me over here. But think about it. If I hadn't gone through all that. We wouldn't have met today"

He smiled. And Peko found herself getting it.

He was unlucky, but his attitude to everything that happened was one of positivity and hopefulness. He was hopeful things would go well. So he only needed to keep moving forward instead of losing time in things he couldn't fix.

Moving forward. Cut the walls that stop you. A swordswoman has no time to let things stop her…

"You are impressive Naegi" She found herself feeling something weird inside of her. She wasn't sure what it was.

Naegi spoke as he took to look at her.

"You are the impressive one Pekoyama, you are a swordswoman! Plus from all you have said you are someone truly strong, and your talent is amazing too" Naegi spoke with sincerity.

And Pekoyama ended up feeling her heart getting warm. In no moment had Naegi referred to her as a tool. He had spoken of her qualities only the whole time. The qualities he saw in Peko Pekoyama.

"Thanks, Naegi" She felt her heart getting warm. She wasn't really paying attention to it until Naegi eyes opened up and he spoke.

"Hey! You got a beautiful smile Pekoyama!" Naegi smile could have said to leave her in shock. She had called her beautiful. No, scratch that. He said her smile was beautiful. Nevertheless, she never smiled…

Eh?

At that, the moment she took notice of how she was smiling as she looked at her reflection in the lake showed her the image she had been trying to obtain. It wasn't big. No, it wasn't like Naegi smile at all. However, it was her smile. A soft smile was drawn in the Pekoyama of the lake.

She was happy.

Suddenly the reflection in the lake showed the thinking Pekoyama. She ended up letting out a groan of frustration. She saw the reflection of Naegi laughing softly.

She looked at him and was about to ask what was so funny. But Naegi ended up speaking.

"I don't think you should force your smile Pekoyama. Surely you will be able to smile like today when you want too" He stopped laughing as he showed an expression that proved how serious he was about his words to her.

It hit her.

"Smiling…" How had she felt when she smiled?

* * *

Smiling is not something you have to force. When your heart gets warm, smiles come to you naturally. She had learned that in the park thanks to Naegi. After that, she told him to call her Peko. As they were officially friends.

She hadn't noticed it at the time. However, when she made her way back home she had smiled when thinking about Naegi. Still, she decided she would keep her friendship with Naegi a secret. People often spoke badly of her. Even if it wasn't mean things, she didn't want people to judge Naegi the same they judged her. He didn't deserve something like that.

Therefore, she decided the best was for Naegi and her to see each other in secret. Like Yakuza bodyguards of opposite clans. Coming to share a drink in the dead of the night when no one else knew. Warriors enjoying the bonds of a camaraderie no one knew. A friendship in secret…

She might have to stop getting so involved in Yakuza stuff if she wanted to avoid that kind of references regarding her friendship…

Would Naegi like the idea of being part of the Kuzuryuu clan? If he was part… they would be together a lot much more, she could even try to convince Fuyuhiko that Naegi was a good asset to have. A diplomatic role that didn't involve violence…

Naegi didn't strike her as someone who enjoyed fighting and the thrill that came from a martial arts match.

Thing was. Naegi wasn't like her. She enjoyed the path of the sword; she loved the martial arts world. She loved helping her friends in her own way. In addition, Naegi wasn't someone who did love the path of the sword or a fan of martial arts. Yet both loved helping their friends. But Naegi had a tool she didn't have. And she loved that magical tool Naegi had that could cheer anyone day.

His smile. That smile that could make the clouds go away and the rainbow come forward. Needless to say. She had enjoyed seeing Naegi every day since that week. Well, to be more exact they met during the afternoons of school days. A couple of hours and at times just an hour. But she could say those hours were the best highlight of her week.

Now she had another chance of meeting him. Thinking it over. If they were going to be secret friends… maybe they could also become a secret mentor and student? She thought she could easily teach Naegi the basis of the sword. Even if he was never one to indulge in violence, he would probably make use of it as a tool of self-defense.

If she was to be a sword that brought results through slashing, maybe Naegi could become a shield that brought hope… yeah, that sounded like Naegi.

She found herself giggling at the idea of Naegi with a shield.

She took notice that she had managed to arrive at the park they had agreed to meet. Time went rather fast for her when she thought of Naegi.

With fondness in her feelings she walked to the small table they had sort of taken as their secret hideout. Even if it was on the park, the table had four stone sits in it. The middle of the table had a checkered pattern in it for people to play chess in it. She had taken to like the small table as it was shadowed by trees and was surrounded by green grass.

The feeling it offered was one of safety and privacy. She was sure whoever planned the location of the tables and the benches around the park had made sure to make this one with privacy in mind. Whoever made it deserved a pat in the back. They had made a great job. Plus it offered to be the best secret hideout in the park. It even offered a view of the lake, albeit not close, it was still clearly visible.

She had often taken to sit alone in this exact place. Those times were mostly of self-reflection. Now she found herself sharing the secret spot.

It was funny how much things change. She never thought she would share this spot with anyone. This was her spot after all, but now it belonged to her and Naegi. And that made it even better.

She had no way of seeing her own reflection. But she didn't need to see her reflection to know it. She was smiling as she thought of Naegi approaching. He would probably arrive a few minutes late, he would apologize for the tardiness. She would tell him it was okay. And he would compliment her smile…

Her eyes opened in surprise at the last thought.

"Is not like… is not like he will do that. We are friends, is not like he is forced to saying anything like that" She let out a sigh before looking to the lake. The smile coming back to her face as she relaxed and heard the footsteps of someone rushing. Only one person rushed through the park.

"Peko! Sorry!" With a wave as he came running. Naegi who was getting the air back into his lungs was sitting in front of her. She needed to work with him regarding his condition. No friend of her would get winded in a critical situation. Not if she could avoid it.

She waved with kindness at him. Naegi seemed to get the air back and spoke again.

"Hey, sorry Peko it took me a bit longer to get here" Naegi looked slightly down so she waved at him to not worry. The result was immediate as Naegi smiled.

"Do not worry Naegi. Stuff happens… especially to you" Naegi chuckled in embarrassment at the not so subtle joke regarding his luck.

Naegi looked at her before speaking.

"Did you manage your goal? You said you would try to smile to your friends, how did that go?"

Ah, yes. To be more exact she said she would try to follow his advice that with kindness and a smile everything would go better. She did follow the first half and it proved to be easy. The second half was not so easy.

She sighed before speaking.

"Truth be told… I did manage to be kinder to my classmates. I haven't been able to smile to them yet" And she did try. No one would say Peko Pekoyama was someone who didn't put her best effort into any goal she had. She did put her best effort. She had sadly known she wouldn't be able to put a smile by forcing it.

Smiles were something some people could fake. However, she couldn't, her smile just came naturally whenever her heart felt warm. And while she really had a soft spot for her classmates. Her heart didn't get the same warmth she got when speaking with Naegi.

Naegi voice broke her musings.

"Oh, well at least you got half of your goal down, so you will surely make it!" Naegi smiled with faith that she could do whatever she wanted to do.

He could understand how Peko could look intimidating to others. People sometimes judged by the first impression they got. Peko could look intimidating with her sharp eyes behind the glasses she wore and the training sword in her back. But if they got to speak with her they would notice that she actually was someone who cared and worried for the people around her.

If anything, and if Naegi was allowed to say it. Peko was cute. She was someone who loved animals, she especially loved pandas. And it really was a shame animals avoided her like the plague. According to her own words. Because he was sure, anyone would get to be thankful of being friends with Peko.

She was someone who you could trust. Moreover, it seemed she always had an answer to problems that looked hard or that required a different type of solution. She simply was, reliable. Someone you could trust your back too and know she would have an advice to offer.

It truly was a shame so many others were missing the other side of Peko. The side that was hidden behind the sword and the sharp eyes. The side of a reliable and kind friend who cared for everyone.

Naegi musings were cut short as he noticed the silence of Peko. She simply was looking at him with a smile. This got him a bit red in the face. Before he could ask what she was thinking she spoke.

"You know Naegi, I believe you are right. I will be able to make it" Whenever she saw the smile of Naegi, she saw the full faith he carried in her. He totally believed she would manage her goal. Moreover, if Naegi believed in her, she knew she would be able to do it.

She wished she could smile at her friends the way she smiled to Naegi. But she knew it perfectly. No need to force it. She would be able to smile at them later. For now, she was glad she could return a smile to Naegi.

She took notice of Naegi reddened face.

"Naegi? Are you okay? You look as if you had a fever… we can meet some other time if you need to rest you know?" While she enjoyed the chats with Naegi, mostly because she made her smile and the rest of it because he was just nice to pass time with, she didn't want him to get sick.

Naegi waved at her in denial. They started to chat about their day in school. Simply by accident, without really intending to do it, both ended up not speaking of their classmates. They spoke of the school in general, their goals, the projects they had and the incoming exams. She spoke of how it wasn't that hard for her, while for Naegi the exams could be a bit hard.

She offered herself as a tutor. Naegi was thankful for it. Peko was reliable indeed.

* * *

At the end of their chatting both felt happy. With a last smile and a nod, Peko left saying she had to go back home. Naegi told her to be careful.

It was endearing how Naegi worried about her when he should be worried about himself. She could defend herself perfectly, but she would lie if she said she didn't worry about someone trying to do something to Naegi.

Still, he promised her he always takes the safest road back home. Even if it was a long one. This helped to ease her worries. Still, she proposed they walk out of the park together this time. As they were walking Peko felt it in her face. Even if Naegi wasn't looking at her face as they walk in silence. She was smiling.

She had to admit it was a pleasant sensation. Even if she could only share it with Naegi for now… not that she minded. Naegi was great at making others smile. She would protect their friendship.

She heard a soft sound. But she couldn't pinpoint the source of it. She didn't mind, she was content. She offered him a wave as he left the park in the direction of his home. She took the opposite road she would reach the home of the Kuzuryuu fast. Or she planned before she heard someone speaking to her.

"Pekoyama?" It was the voice of a girl she knew well.

"You know you can call me Peko, are you well Natsumi?" She greeted her with courtesy. She took notice Natsumi looked confused.

"Well… yeah I am fine but… who was that guy Peko? And… did he made you smile?" She spoke trying to not sound rude. After all she had sort of kept herself hidden looking at them when they got out of the park.

Truth was she only came walking to the park to get some peace and relaxation. Yet she ended up finding Peko, the best friend and sword of his brother. Which wasn't weird. Both knew Peko liked the park. What was new and weird. Was the fact she was with a boy she didn't know. And she could bet Fuyuhiko didn't know him either.

"Oh" That was all she could say. She was hoping to keep her friendship with Naegi a secret. But if Natsumi knew. She would tell Fuyuhiko. Fuyuhiko would ask her, and she would be forced to answer. And even if she refused to answer, they would just use the influence of the Kuzuryuu to find every detail about Naegi.

"He can't be that bad if he made you smile Peko. I mean I haven't seen you smile like that to anyone" Natsumi spoke more sure of herself. She wanted to dig all the information regarding the friend of Peko.

If Peko was able to smile at him surely there was something interesting in him.

"I guess I got no choice but to tell you… let us get something to eat" As they walked to a small post that sold nikuman, she took notice of a familiar and loud face.

"Yo! I came for the order!" Said the loud voice of a girl. Tan skin, unkempt chest nut long hair. Tall with an athletic build up and a curvaceous body, she perfectly knew her.

Akane Owari.

"Owari?" Peko spoke with doubt, she knew she wasn't wrong. Still better safe than sorry.

The girl spun and looked at her and Natsumi. She smiled. Happiness flowing of her.

"Yo! Did you come to accept my challenge for a fist fight Pekoyama?!" She looked positively happy at the idea. Akane Owari was someone who loved to fight. Bare fists to be more exact were her favorite way to do so.

Peko offered a polite bow to her.

"I am afraid not, just came to get something to eat with Natsumi" She motioned to the girl so Owari could see who she spoke of.

She smiled at them.

"Oh well, nothing wrong in postponing the fight. I just came to pick some food" She smiled with excitement and a bit of drool in her mouth. Everyone knew how much she loved food.

"I see…" Before Peko could keep speaking they heard the voice of the owner of the nikuman post.

"Twenty five extra big nikuman Akane!" The man smiled offering her the many bags with food. Peko and Natsumi were surprised at the amount of food she had. Natsumi couldn't avoid speaking.

"You are eating all of that?" Disbelief was in her voice as Owari laughed.

"Of course not! This are extra big! They are twenty four for me only" She smiled as she paid for them and took the bags.

Peko made an observation.

"Why twenty five though, if you eat twenty four, didn't you bought one too many?" She spoke with her usual seriousness.

This only made Owari laugh.

"There is no mistake! Of course, I bought an extra; it's meant for my secret friend! And now I got to go, he surely is waiting for me!" With a spring to her step, the Ultimate Gymnast ran after taking the change from her purchase.

Natsumi and Peko ended up speaking to the air at the same time.

"Secret friend?"

Peko was in thought. If Akane Owari had a secret friend. He must be like the gymnast. Strong, full of energy, a lover of bare fistfights, someone who earned her respect to strength. In a way, it made Peko shudder. Whoever it was, it would be strong to deal with her.

* * *

Akane Owari. Ultimate Gymnast. A girl who loved her family and who loved the simple things in life. She believed in strength, she was a survivor, life made her tough and she was someone who didn't need anyone. Only the weak needed help.

Yet she had doubted that for a couple of weeks now.

"Oi! Nagi!" She waved at her secret friend. She wasn't going to share him with others. They would steal him away because he wasn't strong. So she would keep him safe always. Because he had helped her before when she showed weakness. Someone weak had helped her in a moment of weakness.

Why did someone so weak helped her? No one helped her in the past when she asked for help. Yet her secret friend found himself helping her.

No one helped the weak. Yet he seemed to do it. And she would lie if she said she wasn't interested in learning more of him and becoming good friends.

However, the second seemed to be already true.

"Akane!" Naegi waved at Akane. The Ultimate Gymnast and the lucky student. They had met two weeks ago.

That had been a rather interesting meeting. Thinking it back. It had been a rather simple meeting.

A deflated girl was in the streets hungry. And Naegi had food at hand. The choice had been obvious. He just didn't expect what would happen due to sharing food with the girl who he later found out was from the same school as him. And that she was a second year just like Tsumiki.

If he had to chose a word to explain his relationship with Akame Owari would be…

"Yo! Nagi!" The tall girl took him in a strong hug.

"Guess who brought some nikuman to share!" Her hug kept coming and due to her height, his head was too close to her cleavage making him red in the face.

Spontaneous would be the proper word. She just would do whatever she felt like doing. But in a way… that kept their friendship just as special as with any other of his friends.

* * *

 **CUT!**

 **Well that was fun and hard. Building setups is always the hardest for me, but I manage I believe. Now we will see what comes next with Akane in chapter 3!**

 **Chapter 3: The secret friend of the Ultimate Gymnast.**


	3. The secret friend of the Gymnast

**Yo! Guess who has a third chapter for all of you? That's right. Now let us go!**

 **A small note, did you know Akane Owari past is rather heavy? I was like "Dang" back when I played the games. Well let us go.**

 **Own nothing of Danganronpa.**

 **Chapter 3: The secret friend of the Ultimate Gymnast.**

If you were to ask Akane Owari regarding her friendships, you would notice a trend. She was great friends with people who were highly active in the physical sense, who looked to become stronger in their areas that required a physical aptitude.

She was loyal, she was forgetful and she was strong. She had to become strong in order to make it through the world she had to live.

In a world in which people are given cards to play the game of life. Some got strong cards like aces, and she go the instructions card and a joker. How she played that card was pretty much her own decision. She played it in gymnastics.

She managed to take her brothers and herself out of that world.

But that world took something from her. It took away something she never noticed nor cared to notice it. The only important thing was to be out of there and making a life for herself.

Hope Peak Academy offered that. Her class offered her a chance for fun. Yet she felt something was missing. Something that she didn't know she needed. Not until two weeks ago at least.

You see, when Akane Owari got hungry she felt saddened and low of energy. To her eating was the most important thing, if you don't eat you die. Her motto and her way of living.

A burst of emotions and happiness that hid horrors and stories that the others just couldn't understand nor imagined they happened to her. That was the thing with her. She couldn't go around speaking of it with the others, they just wouldn't understand, nor she felt compelled to share it.

They weren't strong enough to understand. Not even Nekomaru her best friend would get it. He was strong. Nevertheless, not the kind of strong that needed someone to hear her.

Two weeks ago, in particular, walking along the streets she felt a bit saddened.

She still remembered that day.

* * *

She wasn't that hungry, but she particularly felt down. She sighed and looked at the people walking at the sides of the street. Everyone looked happy. She didn't particularly felt like she could share that with them.

As her stomach made a growl in demand for food, she nodded at it. She needed to eat something. Just so her stomach would leave her in peace.

Sadly she couldn't say the sad feelings would go away with the food. She looked downwards when her senses were attacked by an overload of sensations. First the smell. She could smell the recently cooked meat, the smell of fresh flour and sauce. The heat that was being irradiated close to her. And sadly a soft voice that spoke with kindness.

"Here, I know how it feels to be hungry" A soft voice said as she was presented with a pork meat bun.

She took it first and with drool at her side, she ate the food without thinking about it twice. Strangers be damned. Food was food. Moreover, you needed food to live, and she didn't plan on dying any time soon.

The food was delicious, and it took away the hunger as it was rather filling. She started to look upwards and noticed her savior was not in front of her, but rather downwards. A kid with brown hair and a hoodie. Shorter than her and offering her a kind smile.

She saw his face and his expression. He was happy. Happy of having helped her.

But there was a question invading her mind. Why help someone who was weak? She was strong so of course she could get help. But no one helped the weak, when she was younger nobody helped her when she asked. So why did he came out of nowhere to help her?

Well, she would find out.

"Thanks! I owe you one, Akane Owari is the name, so who are you?" She spoke with the same energy that was common in her.

The boy kept his smile and spoke.

"Makoto Naegi" He had with him a bag full of pork meat buns if her nose didn't lie to her. And her nose never lied to her.

"Well, Nagi! Thanks for the food, I guess I will go to my place now that I got the energy!" She beamed with pride and was getting ready to go when the boy spoke again.

"Okay, but would you like taking some meat buns? I got them for my sister but I think these are too many for both of us… and you looked hungry before… so want to take some?" The boy kept going with the same kindness of before.

Akane Owari was many things. Some would say she wasn't intellectually the best. She could manage. Barely. She still managed to make it through in the academics field. Still she was an excellent judge of character and her gut feeling had never been wrong. And she meant it.

Her gut would never lie to her. It had kept her safe the biggest part of her life and it was a talent that never got away.

And her gut said Nagi…Naegi? Nage? Nagi surely. Wasn't someone bad. Weak surely, not exactly material for a sparring without a doubt. Still he was kind.

Plus he was offering her more of those delicious meat buns of pork. She couldn't just go away.

"Sure! I will take some!" She stretched her hand and to her surprise, Naegi placed one of the bags of meat buns in her hand. She looked with both drool and disbelief at the kindness.

"Oh, isn't this too much Nagi?" She didn't want to ask that question. But she felt it was necessary. The boy waved at her.

"Is okay Owari, you looked down, and I feel those meat buns will cheer you up" With a wave, he went away after saying goodbye to her.

She looked at the bag and at the fleeting figure of Nagi. Her mind was set.

"Hey! Wait for me Nagi!" She smiled as she ran in his direction. He stopped as he heard her and waited for her.

What followed was a simple conversation regarding who he was and who she was.

And an agreement had been reached.

"Oi Nagi! Let us be friends, you can call me Akane!" She smiled at him as they ate the meat buns.

Akane wasn't sure what was so nice of Naegi. But she felt that while Naegi was weak on his body, something inside of him was strong, and that was a strength that deserved to be protected. So she would do just that.

Honestly, she wasn't sure what it was. But she was sure Naegi had something. Something that made her interested in staying by his side.

Two things happened on that day.

Akane made a new friend. One she would keep safe. And Naegi went back home needing to explain to his sister what happened with the bag of meat buns.

Naegi learned something that day.

Akane Owari, the ultimate Gymnast was someone who loved food and could eat a lot more than her physique would make you think.

* * *

That brings us back to the current moment as she is giving a hug to her friend.

"Naegi! Ha ,I knew I would remember it this time" She smiled as she ate with Naegi.

The lucky student could only chuckle as they walked together. Two weeks. It took two weeks for Akane to get his name right. She said she often had troubles remembering names. She got too focused on other stuff and names just slipped by.

"So, how did your day went Naegi? Anything fun?" She smiled at him. She wasn't sure what was exactly what Naegi did, but he made her smile a lot more.

Don't take it wrong, she was someone who naturally smiled without a problem. But something happened when she was spending time with Naegi as he made her smile much more.

"Yeah, I got to spend time with my friends today" At thi,s he looked happy.

Akane had noticed Naegi was someone who looked the most happy when speaking of how things went with his friends. She was happy picturing Naegi speaking about her.

"That's great, I hope you ate something. Remember, eating is the most important thing. If you don't eat you die. And I would prefer if you didn't die anytime soon… I mean with that luck of yours better be careful right?" She joked with him. The last part meant as a joke but also to show she cared as she slipped her arm over the shorter boy shoulders.

Naegi had noticed that Akane was a physical person. Well at least since their first week of knowing the other. She had showed to enjoy acts of camaraderie such as high fives, let her arm fall over his shoulders and so on.

He didn't mind. Mostly because Akane would look happier whenever she spoke with him while keeping contact.

"I had a fun time today myself you know Naegi? I think my class is awesome, everyone got some crazy talents, and they just know how to use them. I love seeing them happy… maybe you would love the coach, he is the ultimate Team Manager" She spoke about her friends and also of her rival.

"Sakura Ogami. I know I will beat her one of these days… hey she is in your classroom right? Mind letting her know I want to challenge her again?" She smiled at the opportunity of another fight.

Naegi chuckled a bit awkwardly remembering the last time Sakura fought Akane. Needless to say Sakura was faster than one would picture. But in a way it was expected of her ultimate status. Still, he couldn't bring himself to say no to Akane, not when she looked so positive.

"Sure. I will tell her when I see her in class tomorrow" Naegi spoke with sincerity. He would do it. He would actually do anything that helped his friends as long as it was something that didn't hurt anyone.

Akane laughed loudly as she took Naegi in a tight hug.

"You are the best Naegi! With you by my side I will totally beat Sakura this time!" In a moment not common of her she released Naegi and looked at his eyes.

"Because… you will be there right?" Her voice for a moment was soft.

And Naegi wasn't sure why that happened. During the two weeks they had been chatting Akane showed a confidence that made her look invincible. Even if she lost she would get up and try again. So her asking a question like that was weird. But still he had his answer.

"Yeah! Though Sakura is also my friend… I hope you don't mind me cheering for both of you during the spar" He smiled at her and found himself trapped in a hug again.

"Man! You are a good buddy Naegi!" She kept the hug before releasing it and getting close to him to whisper. Naegi was embarrassed at the constant hugs that placed him near her cleavage.

"You know… you can touch them if you want" She said with a smile that made Naegi embarrassed.

You see, Naegi got to understand that whatever happened in the past of Akane that she didn't often mention ended up making her seeing contact in different ways. For her it wasn't weird for someone to touch her chest. Not if that someone was her friend.

Naegi had made pretty clear during their first week of chatting that no one should touch her in anyway. It had been a rather awkward conversation as Naegi found out a lot of Akane, and the more he learned the more he was forced to explain her to not let anyone do any of those things to her.

"Eh? But we are close friends Naegi, didn't you said only really close friends did stuff like that?" Akane spoke with an innocence that those who didn't know her would be confused of it.

Naegi while red faced spoke trying to avoid stuttering.

"Well…y-yeah close friends do that, but only close friends that are even closer you know? Couples?" Naegi spoke and tried to compose himself. He wasn't the best at explaining about the birds and the bees honestly. He was embarrassed about that chat with his family. And his sister never let him live it down.

Akane spoke a small "Oh" before keep walking with him. She spoke after a few seconds of silence.

"So if we were to become a couple… you touching them wouldn't be a problem right?" She looked at him with a smile. As if she was seriously considering the option. This only made Naegi get even red in the face.

"Well… it wouldn't be right without your permission, and you should choose as your couple someone who always made you happy Akane" Naegi managed to keep his expression and tone serious regarding the subject of relationships. He didn't expect Akane comment.

"Oh, you know, if I didn't knew I would say you didn't want to touch them. I mean men love this stuff, back then everyone touched them" Akane spoke simply.

It was in moments like this that Naegi reflected that Akane life had not been easy at all. She had been someone who endured a hard life in which a lot happened, and that left her with a different view of things.

Moments like this one made Naegi feel angry at whoever would do something so horrid to someone as nice as Akane.

"No… no one should have done that to you without your permission... no one should even have tried that with you" He spoke keeping his anger in check.

Akane stopped her walking and simply placed herself in a different height and took Naegi in a hug, this one placing his head near her neck allowing him to lean to her.

"Is okay you know…. Thanks for getting angry… but that happened long ago, no use in worrying of it. I am a strong girl Naegi" She spoke with the same cheer in her voice.

Naegi could feel something else in the hug. A feeling of gratitude.

She released him from the hug before taking another of the nikuman she bought in the post before. Biting it and keeping it in her mouth, she offered one to Naegi who took it, not before thanking her for it and biting it.

The rest of the walk went silently before they reached the usual point in which they separated.

Akane took the chance to offer Naegi one last hug.

"Keep eating well okay? I don't want to hear you got sick because you didn't eat properly Naegi" She smiled at him and she could feel him nodding in the hug.

"Don't worry, I will do it… but you eat well too okay?" Naegi tried to look stern. He failed miserably and Akane laughed.

"Don't worry Naegi, I said it before right? I am a strong girl, and that is because I don't miss any meal" She made a mock salute for him as she waved when he left. She stayed in her place until she could see Naegi get out of her sight. She knew he didn't live that far. By the point they stopped walking together Naegi home was close. She always stayed until she took notice he got into his home. After that she took a turn and went back the road that would lead her home.

You see. Her home was the opposite direction of Naegi. But if she took to walk to her home, she would miss Naegi walking to his, and they wouldn't be able to chat an spend time together eating. She was fast anyways. She could just make her way back to her home by running.

* * *

This time as she was making her run she noticed someone else was running. She smiled and waved at him.

"Coach! How is it going!" She waved at Nekomaru who was building a sweat. It seemed he had been running for a while.

He approached her and returned the wave.

"Akane, this isn't your usual running route… what brought the change? You feel like walking more? Because if that is the case I can develop a better route for you to run. One closer to your home too" He was already thinking on the layout around her home to make a route when she spoke.

"Oh don't worry, I just walk around here to make company to my secret friend" She smiled as she spoke.

Akane Owari wasn't one for academics, and she also was one who didn't saw any damage of speaking about her secret friend. She could mention she had a secret friend, she only needed to keep his name a secret.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a secret friend… I guess you won't tell me his name even if I asked about him right?" Nekomaru Nidai as intimidating as he could look wasn't a bad guy. He cared deeply for his friends and those he worked closely with. Meaning he cared by Akane. Especially as he knew how she could be at times with strangers.

Though when he was thinking it back, Akane had been acting more… well there wasn't an exact word, but she seemed to be more at peace, as if things were going pretty well for her.

His thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Akane.

"You just want his name? That's okay, he is Makoto Nagi… no wait, scratch that, Naegi. Makoto Naegi" She smiled as she said the name of her secret friend.

Nekomaru nodded. He didn't know who that boy was. But judging by Akane expression he wasn't a bad guy. Which brought the next question.

"Oh, he must be pretty strong then" He said with a smile as Akane liked to be friends with those considered strong by her.

"Oh not at all, he is weak! So weak in fact anyone could beat him, I think even Chiaki could knock him" She spoke that with the same smile confusing Nekomaru. Didn't she was friends with those she called strong?

She kept going.

"But there is something great with him, it just makes me want to keep chatting, to keep seeing him, what's more we eat together a lot. Also whenever I have doubts he helps me with them, I think you would like him coach" She kept her walking speed with Nekomaru who had also taken to walk as they chatted.

Nekomaru Nidai didn't consider himself an expert on the mysteries of the human mind. But he considered himself good at judging those close to him. Especially someone as Akane who was his friend and who trained together with him. So he thought something was obviously going with Akane.

"Akane. Do you like this Naegi?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"Of course I like him, we wouldn't be friends otherwise coach" She got confused with the question. If Naegi was her secret friend it was because she liked him.

"No I mean, do you like him, as in more than a friend?" Nekomaru knew this was going to happen. Akane was a great judge of character, but she could be dense regarding certain aspects of social relationships. To be more exact, the definitions of contact and liking someone in a social context.

"Oh, I don't know, I like Naegi, I mean he makes me smile, we share food together, plus chatting with him is always nice" She smiled while speaking of Naegi.

Nekomaru thought he obtained the keyword into explaining everything to Akane.

"Akane, would you share your food with me?" He spoke slowly. Making sure she heard him clearly.

Akane reaction was immediate.

"Of course not! Its my food, if you want food you should get your own coach" She looked at her friend with a defensive stance. She wasn't going to share her food.

Yet she took notice Nekomaru didn't move or spoke of food. He spoke something else.

"There you go, you must really like this Naegi if you share food with him, you never share food with anyone" He offered her a smile as he crossed his arms.

Everyone on the classroom of Nekomaru knew that one couldn't get between Akane and food. It was mere suicidal. There was no need to risk your life in such a fool's errand. Yet that same Akane spoke of how she shared food with someone. Something he would have said it was a lie had anyone else said it. However, hearing it from Akane herself meant it was true.

"I don't get it coach, you said I don't share. But I share food with Naegi" She spoke with honest curiosity.

Nekomaru sighed. He knew that might happen.

"Would you share food with someone else aside of Naeg?" He spoke with seriousness and he noticed the thoughts in her head going rampant.

"No. I guess not, I only share it with Naegi… and maybe my brothers if they were to ask, but we got plenty of food" She pondered on this results that were exposed to her.

She smiled as she chuckled.

"Look at that coach. I guess I like Naegi" She smiled brightly at this revelation.

Akane Owari was a lot of things. And complicated wasn't one of them. The total opposite was right, she was someone simple. Once her mind got something, she didn't have troubles accepting it.

At least know she understood why she liked spending so much time with Naegi. Why she was willing to walk far from her house to make company to Naegi. Why she loved their chats of anything and everything while they ate whatever she had brought with her at the time, sometimes Naegi surprised her too by bringing something to eat.

"Hey coach… does that mean Naegi will want to touch them?" She pointed to her chest making Nekomaru groan.

"Akane…. We have spoken of this before, is not right for people going around doing that" He had spoke with her before. It was always a tiring exercise of patience honestly.

"But Naegi told me people who like each other… oh wait he said couples" She was in thought.

Nekomaru meanwhile smiled understanding the situation. She must have offered Naegi to touch her chest and he refused. Whoever this Naegi was. He was a gentleman, a decent person at the very least.

"So all I got to do is ask him to be my couple, then everything would be right!" Nekomaru was about to speak why such a thing didn't work that way.

"I mean, I like Naegi, and if he likes me, then we can be a couple right?" She looked at Nekomaru in order to obtain a clarification.

Nekomaru was nervous.

He wasn't someone who submitted to pressure or even who got nervous. But this was different. He would never be defeated in a confrontation. But this… this was a field with mines all over. If he didn't chose his words properly he would bring a mess for Makoto Naegi.

He had to be really clear and leave no field for mistake or misinterpretation in his words.

Akane approached him and repeated herself.

"Coach… I am right, right? If he likes me. We can be a couple right?" She smiled with anticipation.

Nekomaru was reassuring himself in his thoughts.

" _Don't screw it Nekomaru. You know you can make it! You have made it through worse!"_

He nodded before speaking.

"If. And only if Naegi likes you the same way you like him, only then you can be a couple. But you need to respect the idea that he might like someone else and…"

Nekomaru took notice of his mistake.

He had nodded.

As in a silent affirmation.

A silent affirmation that made Akane leave in happiness using parkour moves to express her happiness.

Essentially, she didn't heard a single word he had spoken.

He offered a silent prayer.

Whoever Makoto Naegi was. He would have some troubles regarding Akane. The girl didn't have a measure of personal space. And she was someone who was goal oriented. And her newest goal was the idea of her and Naegi as a couple.

"I apologize Makoto Naegi… I might have got you into a lot of troubles…"

He took to breath and resume his previous run. Akane would be well. He was more worried of whoever Naegi was.

* * *

As the sun went down in the city and everyone was in their home. Makoto Naegi was simply smiling as he spoke with his sister Komaru.

"It went well, I had a fun time with everyone" He spoke with a smile as his sister huffed.

"Don't you think those girls might have something for you brother? I mean, they seemed to really like spending time with you" She said with a serious face that made Naegi laugh.

"Komaru, Mondo and Fujisaki smile at me all the time when we spend time together. That doesn't mean they want something with me you know" He smiled at the fun comment of Komaru.

"I am serious Naegi… I mean for what you say this Pekoyama girl is really into you. I mean you said she never smiles to anyone, but she smiles to you only? Don't you think that is something to think about?" Komaru was having troubles going through Naegi wall of ignorance regarding girl's advances.

"And I am telling you, they are a year older, surely they got guys or girls they like… I mean Mikan is kind; surely, someone is interested in her. Peko is truly cute when you get to chat with her, and I have never met someone happier than Akane" He smiled while speaking of his friends. The second year olds who had been nothing but nice with him.

Komaru sighed.

"I am just telling you, that they might like you, and if that's the case you should be ready for that. I mean you are a mess by the sole idea of people kissing" At the end of her sentence, Naegi got red in the face earning chuckles from Komaru.

"I am just telling you brother. This is serious, believe it or not, you can be a lady killer" She said with a smirk earning a confused face from Naegi.

"I don't want to kill any girls Komaru" Said girl groaned.

Of course. She was speaking with Naegi. How could she expect for him to get it? But she seriously thought about it. She wouldn't be surprised if any of those girls came confessing to him right now.

A soft knocking on the door made Komaru scared. Had she become a psychic?!

Before she could speak Naegi took to the door and checked who it was before opening it.

"Fukawa? How can I help you?"

Komaru couldn't listen to their conversation. But it was a short one as Naegi thanked her before coming back to her.

"Sorry, Fukawa came to bring me my book. Seems I left it in the classroom without noticing" He said with a smile obviously relived that the book appeared.

Komaru nodded.

"How did that girl knew where you lived?" She asked with curiosity.

Naegi shrugged before saying he would go to take a bath. Komaru felt a shiver on her spine.

"Use hot water! Make a lot of steam and close the window you hear me!? Lots of steam!"

Komaru groaned after hearing the approval of her brother.

Naegi was popular with the girls without even knowing it, and that stressed Komaru endlessly as she had to make sure to keep Naegi safe. She went outside of her house and looked around. She took a small pebble and acted as a sentry. She observed. And waited…

She focused herself on hearing any sound. Anything out of normal. She heard it.

"Tsk. Closed window"

She didn't need to aim as she threw a stone at the direction of the voice coming from some bushes across her home.

"Ouch!"

Komaru went running as she saw the bushes moving. Sadly when she got there the only thing she found was her pebble.

"Naegi… you seriously need to learn how to take hints!" Komaru groaned at the end of her speech and returned back home. She needed to explain Naegi about girls and hints. He was allowed to be dense only when that didn't bring unnecessary worries to her.

"Worry not though, I will keep you, safe brother!" She screamed at the top of the house where the bath was in.

Naegi didn't really get what happened. But he focused on finishing his bath to rest. Tomorrow would be another fun day at the school.

* * *

 **CUT!**

 **Ah I just had to add that joke at the end. For those who read my other fics of Danganronpa, I wrote one of Naegi and Fukawa. Which I really enjoyed writing. But this one is not focused on them! Now the three main girls of our story have been presented!**

 **I will be seeing you all next time with chapter 4.**

 **Chapter 4: The secret friends of the lucky student.**


	4. The secret friends of the Lucky student

**Hello everyone! Hey thanks to all of you for the favs and follows and the reviews. They mean a lot everyone. Thanks! Let us go! Since weekend promises to be a tad busy I decided to drop you all this chapter today so you dont have to wait till monday when I come back.**

 **An important note. This one might be a heavy one.**

 **Own nothing as always!**

 **Chapter 4: The secret friends of the lucky student.**

 **A city of lights…**

If you were to ask Naegi what made a morning a great one it would simply be the fact that you get to spend time with your friends. To enjoy a class with them and simply put. Have a good time.

Naegi did felt that sometimes Hope Peak was a bit too lax with their students regarding the fact they were given a lot of free time. He understood some students had more usage of free time to work on their projects. But other students like him did need the classes.

Still, it was good to have a nice morning.

As Naegi greeted everyone in his class as it was usual by now. He approached Ikusaba Mukuro who seemed to have a small band-aid in her forehead.

"Mukuro? Are you hurt?" Naegi said pointing at his own forehead.

She smiled and waved him off.

"Yeah don't worry Naegi, just a small accident last night" She smiled at him and he took it as a sign she was well.

"Oi Naegi!" Hagakure, one of Naegi best friends approached him.

"How is it going today Hagakure?" He smiled at his friend attitude who seemed to be in a good mood.

"Pretty well little man, I was thinking of checking on the rumor of the nurse office, Leon and Mondo are coming… well Ishimaru is coming too because he said we shouldn't mess with the property of the school. But we only want to take a look at the famous nurse, want to come?" Hagakure hoped Naegi came, because Mondo and Ishimaru condition for going was that Naegi came too. And honestly Hagakure didn't want to be left alone with Leon. Not after the incident regarding the crystal ball and the baseball ball.

They were a tight group. Still, no one messed with his crystal ball.

Before Naegi could speak about the rumor being false as he was friends with Mikan who acted as a nurse for the school Celes spoke.

"Really Hagakure? Going to check on something that is obviously fake? Please. Don't tell me you think the nurse is really like that due to your crystal ball" Celes loved to tease Hagakure regarding his ability to see the future. She did believed in his talent. However, she also was in the knowledge that more often than not he was wrong.

Before Hagakure could retort, the voice of Kirigiri sounded near them.

"Everyone knows that the nurse of the office is the student with the title of the same name" She spoke in her usual cold demeanor. Yet those who knew her better understood she wasn't cold. That was just the way she expressed herself.

If she were truly cold she would never even chat with them.

"Oh, so you know her name Kirigiri?" Celes was curious regarding the name of the ultimate nurse.

To their surprise it was Naegi who ended up answering.

"Mikan Tsumiki, she is really kind" Naegi spoke of her with his usual smile.

The others were curious as to how he knew that, but Kirigiri making use of her talent stated the obvious.

"You met her when you sprained your hand didn't you?" She spoke as she remembered the small incident. A slip while running ended up leaving him with that injury. He had to go visit the nurse that day. The only really. She heard no one in the whole school was injured on the sports festival aside of him.

Naegi nodded. At this Hagakure took him by the shoulders and made an obvious question. Well obvious to him.

"Was she cute? Was she scary? But more importantly, was she cute?" Hagakure winked with complicity at Naegi who laughed nervously at his friend antics. Still he answered with the usual honesty that characterized him.

"Well… she is really kind, and she is really good as a nurse" He spoke with honesty. And Hagakure seemed disappointed.

"Mmm should have expected that answer from you. Guess we need to visit the nurse office to find out if she is cute" Hagakure seemed slightly disappointed at the fact that there was no ghost or anything supernatural involved with the school nurse.

Those were rumors for you.

Before Hagakure could offer more of his plan Naegi saw Sakura and Hina. He waved at them and approached Sakura.

"Good morning Hina, Sakura. I got a message for you Sakura" Up to date. Many of the members of their class were still intimidated by the strong Sakura Ogami. Many, but not Naegi who saw her for who she was. A girl who loved martial arts and loved to train.

With a polite bow Sakura returned the greeting to Naegi.

"Good morning Naegi. What is the message about?" She was curious of who would use Naegi to send her a message.

Naegi nodded before remembering properly.

"The message is from Akane, she said she wanted to challenge you again" Naegi smiled remembering how excited Akane was at the idea of challenging her again. Akane was happy at the idea.

Sakura Ogami was someone who never forgot a challenger. Weak or strong. She was someone who never forgot a match. Plus it was a hard task to forget someone who constantly wanted to challenge her.

She did accepted every challenge from the second year student. She was surprised in a pleased way at her attitude. She respected her dedication in fighting her repeatedly. She wasn't one to surrender. And in her books, that was something that was to be respected of someone who walked the path of a self-betterment through fighting.

Sakura nodded.

"Sure, if you see her please tell her I will accept her challenge as always" She smiled at the idea of another challenge.

Aoi Asahina, Hina to her friends was someone who spend a lot of time with Sakura and Naegi, and because of that, she was curious of something.

"How do you know Akane? Are you friends Naegi?" She was curious while she thought of it. Naegi was someone who truly could be friends with everyone. So it wouldn't surprise her if he managed to become friend with the famous gymnast.

Before Naegi could offer his answer, though their teacher came in.

One should mention Naegi was something like a piece of gum. He could keep things together. No matter how weird it seemed. He just made the whole class work together. As if the class was a puzzle and the last piece it needed for the image to be revealed was Naegi.

That's why the teachers more often than not chose him for certain tasks.

"Naegi you are here good. I would like to ask you to deliver this to Chisa Yukizome, she is the teacher for the second year class, 77-B. Mind going to give her this?" The teacher procured a sealed file with the logo of the school. Many would feel curious of what was inside. Naegi simply nodded and agreed to go.

He excused himself with Hina and Sakura as he went to look for the classroom of the second years.

* * *

It didn't take him long to find them, their classroom wasn't really that far from their own, which made Naegi wonder why he didn't felt like delivering it himself.

He knocked on the door of the classroom and was greeted by a woman. She looked too young and petite with big green eyes, her smile made her look shining and her long orange hair was worn in a ponytail.

"Hello! How can I help you? Are you lost? Are you looking for your classroom young man?" Her cheery and upbeat attitude made Naegi smile at her as he proceeded to give her the file in his hands.

"Hello, well I was told to bring this to Yukizome sensei" He smiled. The woman in front smiled as she took the file with a nod.

"That would be me, thank you… so if I had to take a guess you are Makoto Naegi right? Your teachers are always saying you look happy all the time, and oh boy they were right" She spoke smiling as she looked at him.

Teachers often spoke of Naegi. That despite being pretty average in looks he still had something that made him just shine with people. If Chisa had to choose a term… she would dare say Naegi was a puppy due to the way teachers spoke of him. You just wanted to hug him and keep him safe, and no matter what happened, he could make you smile because his happiness was contagious.

And maybe. Just maybe… he was trustworthy enough for her to put her trust.

"Well Naegi, seeing as you are here. Would you mind helping me? It would be nothing big really. I need to check this file, but I can't do that in the classroom, but I just can't leave my dear students unchecked. Mind keeping an eye on them? It will only be a few minutes" She smiled at him hoping it would be okay.

She was worried. But it seemed to be for naught as Naegi nodded with an expression of happiness.

"Sure Yukizome sensei. I can do that" He smiled at her and she sighed in relief.

"It will only be a minute, three at tops. Thanks Naegi!" The teacher took his hand and quickly presented him to the class of the second years.

"Everyone, I got to check on something, it will be just a minute, but so you don't feel alone I am leaving you with Makoto Naegi. Now you are all older than him. So behave" She smiled sweetly at them. Yet Naegi could feel a shiver down his spine at the end of the words she spoke. He just didn't know why.

The students in the classroom looked at Naegi for a moment. But lost interest quickly in him and resumed their attention to their notebooks focusing on their personal projects. Everyone but a few students who were interested in seeing Naegi.

Mikan Tsumiki, her friends Ibuki Mioda and Mahiru Koizumi who were now in the range of seeing closely the secret friend of the nurse. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu and Peko Pekoyama. The first one due to being curious about Naegi after hearing Peko speaking about their recent friendship. Nekomaru Nidai, the ultimate team manager finally had a face to the name that Akane mentioned.

In addition, the one who looked with more enthusiasm at Naegi was the student who was waving at him.

"Naegi! Hey!" She waved with enthusiasm at him.

Peko and Mikan eyes both opened up at the fact that Akane seemed to know Naegi. Neither of them knew of their friendship.

That's a secret friend for you.

Naegi smiled and waved back at her. Akane chose to stand up and approached Naegi by the teacher desk.

"Hey! Is good to see you so early. Did you eat well?" She found herself smiling at Naegi.

Naegi nodded before answering.

"Yeah, I had dinner with my sister. Did you eat well?" He offered back the same question earning a laugh from Akane.

"Of course Naegi! I can't keep my energy if I don't eat properly. Never forget that you shouldn't skip any meals" She nodded at her own words of wisdom.

Peko and Mikan were surprised at how easily Akane was chatting with Naegi. But what got them the more surprised was what happened next.

Akane motioned Naegi to stay still for a moment. She jumped over the teacher desk getting back to her place. She took her bag and procured a donut. They were not surprised. She often had a lot of food with her all the time.

What got confused not only Peko and Mikan but the whole class of 77-B, and even surprised Chisa Yukizome who had just gotten back to the classroom was what they saw.

Akane Owari. Ultimate Gymnast. The lover of fighting and the ball of energy of the class. The girl who protected food with a religious zealotry by never sharing it with anyone. Had just cut the donut in half offering it to Makoto Naegi.

"I am sorry, I only had one, but I guess half is better than nothing right? Cheers!" She smiled as she hit her half of the donut with Naegi and proceeded to bite it.

Naegi smiled and bit the donut. It was sweet and sugary. But still really good. Plus it was of chocolate flavor. How to refuse such a donut?

The classroom of the 77-B knew that getting between Akane and food was a suicide. It was asking for trouble. Unnecessary trouble at that. And yet they were seeing her sharing a donut. Before other students could ask anything Naegi spoke.

"Oh, Sakura accepted your challenge" Naegi said as he used his pocket in the hoodie to get rid of the sugar on his fingers.

Akane smiled and nodded.

"I knew Sakura wouldn't refuse my challenge! I will look for her later, thanks Naegi!" She took the boy into a strong hug. The routinely cleavage hug that left Naegi red face.

Chisa recovered from the scene and spoke.

"Thanks Naegi! I see you know one of my students. You can go back to your classroom now" She smiled and opened the door for him. She was still coming to terms to what she saw.

He proceeded to wave at Akane who waved a bit slower seeing her friend going away. Peko and Mikan were still surprised. The whole class was still in shock. Akane proceeded to go back to her desk and Chisa lesson began.

But the students were still coming to terms to what happened. All except for one student who knew of it.

Nekomaru Nidai nodded at himself. He knew Akane liked the boy. Now he had seen proof of how much she liked him. Still he was thankful Akane didn't drop the question about being a couple with Naegi right there in front of everyone.

He saw the boy embarrassment in the hug. He could only imagine how he would have reacted had she asked him about being a couple.

* * *

The lesson went smoothly and Chisa was thankful at the lack of interruptions or distractions. She guessed it had to with the fact they just saw something hard to believe. Still she was a teacher, and a proud one at that. So she had to keep professional and make investigations later. Moreover, there was an announcement to make.

"Students, as you all know, we have been all together for close to four months know. And since Hope Peak believes in cooperation and learning about others, so anyone interested will have a chance to act as a tutor for a younger student. This will give you all an extra credit to use in whatever field you feel you might need it" She spoke with her usual optimism.

This made some students groan. Others were interested in the idea it looked like fun. Others understood the message that they needed that extra credit.

"So I took the liberty of making this!" She smiled and pasted something in the board.

A list. A list with the names of all the students of the first years.

"You can choose who you want to tutor. As none of you know them, I thought it would be fun to do this" She smiled and kept explaining.

"The class representative, will write the names, so when you choose someone, tell Chiaki and she will add it in the list" She explained simply.

Akane, Peko and Mikan were all interested in a particular name. Sadly for Mikan and Akane they were at a tactical disadvantage without knowing it. Fuyuhiko sat in the line next to Chiaki. A place in front of hers. That left Peko exactly at the right of Chiaki.

Peko smiled. She had talked with Naegi about tutoring him. This would work wonders.

"Nanami" She tried to approach formally to the girl who was playing with a portable console.

She caught her attention and she looked at her.

"Peko? You can call me Chiaki you know?" She said with a smile as she held the portable console. Managing to play with it without seeing it. The ultimate gamer in action.

"My apologies, Chiaki, could you write my name next to the one of Makoto Naegi?" She tried to speak with kindness and to smile. She couldn't force herself to it. But thinking of Naegi managed to bring a soft smile to her face. A smile that Chiaki Nanami saw.

It managed to convince her Peko Pekoyama was nicer than what it seemed.

"Sure Peko. I will add it right now" Without missing a beat she got up leaving her portable console on the desk.

If someone were to ask her why she got up and write the name of Peko Pekoyama so fast she would have trouble explaining it.

No one would believe her if she said Peko Pekoyama had softly smiled and asked kindly in a tone that made her look like a love-struck girl.

No one would ever believe such a thing. It was the sort of thing that happened and videogames and one could believe it. But when it happened in the real life no one believed it.

Akane and Mikan took notice of Chiaki going and writing a name. Chisa ended up speaking of it resolving her doubts.

"Oh we got our first name! Peko Pekoyama will be tutoring… oh Makoto Naegi. He must have left a good impression on you Peko" She smiled and the girl nodded.

"I hope to be able to be a good tutor" She said with her usual tone. But Chisa didn't miss it. Peko Pekoyama was happy.

"I am sure you will do well Peko" She said with a soft smile.

Peko didn't understood why her teacher spoke with softness or why her expression was one of happiness for her. It was hard to know.

The other two students in the class were a bit down. Mikan way more down than Akane who simply took a piece of bread out of her bag. Nekomaru knew Akane would just bounce up with more energy.

Meanwhile Ibuki and Mahiru tried to cheer up a down Mikan Tsumiki who started to say maybe iot was for the best as she wasn't interesting enough to be a proper tutor to Naegi.

Class went on without much else happening.

* * *

By the end of the first period Sakura Ogami proceeded to make her way to the school gym. She knew someone would be waiting for her in there. She walked in the company of her best friend Hina and Naegi.

"She never stops trying does she?" Hina spoke as she walked by the side of Sakura. She always wondered what was so fun of fighting. She thought swimming was better. And less painful.

"Is the path of a warrior Hina. She does it because for her is exciting, just like swimming is exciting for you" Sakura spoke while concentrated.

Naegi nodded.

"Plus Akane says she has fun every time she challenges you" Naegi voice carried the usual cheer. And he was also hoping they wouldn't mind him cheering for both Sakura and Akane.

Sakura nodded.

"Indeed, I see it in her face. I also have fun when testing myself" And she wasn't lying, seeing Akane expression it always showed how much she was having fun. There was no desperation in her fights. Only fun and happiness.

A respectable attitude against challenges and one that many could come to learn.

The end of the first period left all the students with an hour of free time. Then time for classes, and lunch. This free time was used by students often to read or relax. Others kept working the whole time.

And for Sakura Ogami this free time was meant to be used to fight Akane Owari once again.

When they entered the spacious gym of the school they saw Akane in the company of someone who seemed to nod in approval. They heard him speaking to her.

"Good Akane! You are ready" He took to look at them and nodded at Sakura.

"Sakura, is good to see you are ready" His posture made him look intimidating, but his voice showed he was actually happy of seeing them all.

Sakura nodded before walking close to Akane. Meanwhile Nekomaru pointed at Hina and Naegi to move to a bench in the side.

"Let us give them space. Safety is always important when seeing this matches" He spoke with the same happiness. He gave an aura of being a proper physical education teacher rather than another student.

Sakura and Hina already knew of Nekomaru, but for Naegi this was his first time meeting him so close.

"Makoto Naegi. You are a good friend of Akane for what I saw in the morning. You are going to cheer for her?" He spoke without the intention to put pressure on Naegi. But he saw Naegi seemingly scratching the back of his head to fight the nerves.

"Well… both of them are my friends, I was hoping to cheer both of them" He ended up getting a bit nervous.

Hina ended up laughing.

"Naegi is bad at choosing sides between his friends. I am guessing you are cheering for Akane?" She spoke with her usual cheer and Nekomaru nodded at her.

They all got silent as they took to look at Sakura who offered her hand to Akane. Once they finished their handshake, the fight would start.

Needless to say. It was fast.

Sakura movements were fast and while Akane was the better in the field of flexibility it didn't really manage to open a chance to fight Sakura. Like many challenges before, this one ended just as quickly.

Though Sakura nodded as she helped Akane get up.

"You got stronger Akane. I am impressed" And she meant it. Getting stronger was no easy feat. And it hadn't been long since their last fight.

Akane laughed as she pointed to the bench in where Naegi, Hina and Nekomaru were sitting.

"My friend came to cheer for me, I had to give my all and even more!" She smiled as she pointed to the bench and Sakura understood it.

Many didn't get Akane, but people that trained and fought with her like Nekomaru and Sakura had come to understand more about her. For example, Sakura knew she always referred to Nekomaru as coach. Not simply as friends. And while she knew Hina she referred to her as Ao due to her difficulty in remembering names. That left only Naegi.

"I didn't know you and Naegi were friends" Her words came with a tone of curiosity. Naegi was always a great friend. So it wasn't surprising for him to make new friends, but it was a different situation with Akane. She didn't make friends with everyone so easily.

"Yeah! He is really cool. We often share food and walk together" Akane beamed up at mentioning Naegi and Sakura nodded.

"I see. I am happy you two are friends, Naegi is indeed a good friend to have" She offered a smile to Akane as both made their way to their friends.

Akane made her way faster to them as she took Naegi in a hug.

"Yo! Thanks for cheering for me!" She spoke with a lot of happiness in her voice. Naegi got red faced at the hug before Akane released him.

She had something important to ask him.

"Hey Naegi, I wanted to tell you something" She smiled looking at him.

But before chance came to be the bell sounded indicating they had to go to class.

"Ah, buu, I guess I will be telling you later. But take this so you don't forget to wait for me today okay?" She got close to him in her usual way that ignored personal boundaries and kissed his cheek before proceeding to leave to her classroom as she waved at him.

Had it been something more private. He might not have gotten embarrassed. But as it happened in front of Sakura, Nekomaru and Hina. The last one squealing about how cute that had been he was embarrassed.

Sakura had to take Hina by the neck of her jacket as to take her to class and leave Naegi alone.

Nekomaru approached Naegi and patted him in the back.

"My apologies. Your current situation I fear might be because of my mistake… I will try to speak with her" He offered him a pat in the back and left a red face Naegi to walk alone back to his class trying to suppress the redness in his face at getting kissed on the cheek by Akane.

In their two weeks of chatting Akane had never done anything like that.

Sure, she invaded his personal space and hugged him tight. But never had she kissed his cheek. Needless to say he had a hard time concentrating on class thanks to that.

* * *

When lunch came Naegi went to see Mikan to her usual spot. She found her seemingly looking dejected.

"Mikan?" He spoke softly to her as to not scare her.

Mikan heard the voice and Naegi and all the dejection and sadness left her. She had been worried that after what she saw in the morning Naegi wouldn't come to have lunch with her. Ibuki had been clear that if Naegi was as good as he seemed to be, he wouldn't leave Mikan having lunch alone.

It seemed she needed to thank Ibuki when they were back in class.

"Naegi! I… I thought you wouldn't come honestly" She spoke with happiness in her tone at being wrong.

Naegi was confused as he took his usual place by her side.

"Why wouldn't I come? We always have lunch together right?" He was honestly confused.

"Do you want me to go?" He asked confused. But in no way hurt, he understood people sometimes needed their own space. And if Mikan needed space he was more than willing to let her have it.

Her reaction was immediate as she started sputtering no all over.

"I love our lunches together, so don't worry… so… how do you know Akane?" She wanted to know, she needed to know how they knew each other.

Naegi felt a bit embarrassed remembering the kiss on the cheek before composing himself.

"Well, we met as I took the road to my home, we chatted a bit and I later found out she was a second year like you Mikan" Naegi fondly spoke of the experience. He was happy of making a friend that day.

Mikan nodded. It seemed her thoughts were right. Akane and Naegi were friends. Naegi only looked like that when speaking of his friends. She was worried. What if Naegi stopped spending time with her? What if he suddenly became only interested in Akane and left her alone? Would she even come to bully her?!

A soft hand in her shoulder broke her thoughts.

"Mikan? Are you well?" Naegi spoke with worry on his face as he saw the distressed expressions going over the face of her friend.

Mikan felt the hand and saw the expression of Naegi.

What was she worried of? They had been chatting for over a month already. If Naegi was going to leave her he would have done it already. Distress went away and in its place came a nervous smile.

"I am okay N-Naegi… I am well whenever y-you are here" She kept her smile and a part of her got embarrassed at what she said. It was the truth; there was nothing to do about it.

She got to feel slightly braver and in the words of Ibuki, more daring. And took the hand of Naegi linking it with hers.

"I will always feel b-better with you at my side" Her smile was full of confidence even through her small stutter while wording her feelings.

This only managed to leave Naegi a stuttering mess as he said it was okay.

Mikan and Naegi kept eating their lunch in silence. There wasn't much to say as both were red faced in their own place. Once in a while a comment regarding the food was good came out. But there was no more to say. Not for today at least.

There wasn't much need for words as the hand of Mikan kept being linked with the hand of Naegi.

Naegi didn't know how to tell Mikan she could stop holding his hand. But she only stopped after dropping him in his classroom and telling him to take better care of his health.

"Take care of your health Naegi… but maybe not too much… if you get hurt I will get to see you in the nurse office" She smiled as she left. Needless to say the last part of her phrase sounded a bit weird. Was a nurse supposed to like that someone got hurt to see them?

* * *

The rest of the classes went without much emotion. Naegi and his friends just kept on the normal day as it went. Though Naegi knew it wasn't that normal as he was asked to stay for a while to meet his tutor.

It seemed someone had chosen to tutor the student. Chisa Yukizome had approached him and explained him about the tutoring.

A second year student would be spending time with him and helping him with whatever they could as to make sure he would do well.

"Pretty much is simple, your tutor will see you in the school library for you to meet each other. But after that both of you can try to settle on a routine if you don't feel like working in the school, I know how you younglings are, I am still young myself you know" She spoke with cheer in her voice while lightly nudging Naegi as she winked at him.

He didn't got why she did that. But he was told to go to the library once classes finished. And that he did.

He didn't saw anyone but he guessed his tutor would come soon. He was curious of who would be his tutor. As he took to sit in one of the bean bags chairs in the library. He loved the bean bags. He really liked the library and its selection of books. But he adored the bean bags the most. It was hard not to love them. The best part was the sensation of letting himself fall in them.

Naegi was relaxed as he analyzed his day on the huge chair that threatened to absorb him alive.

Akane Owari had come and kissed his cheek. She had done it with a softness he never expected coming from her. He knew she could be someone with lots of care as he learned when she mentioned the important of safety in exercising. Nevertheless, that kiss to his cheek was not the kind of care he expected from her.

Then it came the linking of his hand with Mikan Tsumiki. She was really happy that they were sharing lunch. He knew she could go into fits of sadness at times, sometimes she seemed to be having troubles with all the thoughts in her head. And it seemed his friendship helped them. She had been confident in taking him to his classroom too.

It just had been a different day from what he was used.

He was so into his thoughts he didn't notice the figure who approached him and placed her hands over his shoulders.

Startled by the contact Naegi looked up and found himself welcomed by a soft smile from a girl with braids and whose eyes were closed behind a pair of glasses. Peko spoke with her usual voice.

"How is my pupil doing?" She expressed as she opened her eyes to him.

Peko had decided she would use the tutoring opportunity to try to act more like people acted with others. No need to be a tool with Naegi. And if there was something people often did in her class was approach the other like this.

Naegi surprise went away as he smiled at her and spoke his question.

"Pupil?" He looked at her and she only smiled and nodded.

"Indeed. I offered myself to be your tutor; since the school opened the chance I thought you would like it" She spoke with softness in her voice.

Naegi wasn't sure. But Peko looked happier than in other days. Sure they had just been chatting for a week, but he thought he had become good at telling her expressions.

He decided it was worth it to voice his thoughts.

"You look happier Peko" He spoke with his characteristic honesty.

Peko smiled at him as she took to sit in a bean bag in front of his.

"I am. I managed to smile to a classmate. She told me I had a nice smile" Peko was happy about it.

Chiaki had told her later during the day that she should smile more often. It made her look cute were the words from the ultimate gamer.

Hearing this Naegi smile immediately grew as he had the need to congratulate Peko in achieving her goal of smiling to a classmate.

"That's great Peko! I knew you would be able to do it" And he meant it, he never doubted she would be able to make it. He was sure she would make it because she was someone who was serious aiming at whatever goal she set for herself.

Said girl smiled at Naegi. The same soft smile she offered to him the day they met. Yet Naegi felt there was something different in that smile. He couldn't honestly say what. But it was obvious she was happy.

"Thank you Naegi. Now if I recall, we got a few things to talk my pupil, so tell me, what is giving you troubles?" She pointed to his school bag.

Naegi got the bag and started to speak of his problems with certain classes. Nothing too big. His grades were average, but Peko promised she would do her best to help him get an excellent grade in all the classes she could help him.

They chatted about the classes. The school and the teachers. Naegi asked a few questions regarding Chisa Yukizome. Peko just told him she was a teacher she respected and actually liked.

"She is really nice" Were her simple words, yet those simple words carried a heavy weight.

Peko wasn't one to speak things she didn't meant.

Her words were honest and with meaning. Naegi actually admired that of her.

Peko Pekoyama was someone who spoke little. But what she spoke was the truth. She wasn't one to go around thinking how to say things. She said things the way she wanted. She was clear and straight with what she wished to express.

Sometimes though this resulted in people thinking she was a bit cold or disinterested. But she was just being respectful and wished to avoid misunderstandings.

Her usual expression of seriousness made it hard for others to get her. But she said she didn't mind. She knew she would be able to express herself.

And while Naegi didn't know it. She was expressing herself more like the others. Slowly and steady. But she was making progress. And that was because that progress was because she was focused on expressing herself more to her secret friend.

Time went flowing in peacefulness as both took to speak of how their tutoring would work. They both agreed they could keep meeting each other in the park in their spot. Naegi and Peko walked out of the school together. As always Peko said her usual words.

"Be careful in the way back home okay?" She smiled at him. She had enjoyed their time in the library more than Naegi could understand.

"I will be careful Peko… you be careful too okay?" He offered a smile back at her.

She nodded before approaching him. Peko was taller than Naegi. While not in the same height difference as Akane she was still taller. She got at a height that allowed their faces to be in front of the other as she smiled.

"I will be careful. Thank you for worrying about me Naegi" She said it with fondness.

The same fondness and care in her voice made Naegi got red in the face. As if there was a secret message in her words. She offered a wave as she left.

When Peko was no longer in the sight of Naegi. She smiled deeply at herself. The tutoring would allow her to spend time with Naegi without others wondering what she was doing. Her secret friend was a secret from others.

She knew Fuyuhiko would question about Naegi. Still she didn't worry. She just knew he would like him.

It was hard not to like Naegi.

* * *

As Peko made her way back to her home. Naegi was waiting in the usual spot he would meet Akane. He thought he might come a bit early but he ended up seeing Akane waving at him as she approached.

"Naegi! You waited for me!" She said with happiness in her voice.

Naegi took notice she didn't stop with her running. When she ended up taking him in her arms making him twirl as she used the momentum from her run to hug him.

"Miss me?" She said with a tone showing she was just joking with him.

Naegi was let down by her and Akane took a pastry from her school bag.

"Here, I bought your favorite!" She looked extremely happy.

As Naegi took the pastry she retrieved another one from her bag and proceeded to eat.

Both walked and as they were walking Naegi wondered something.

"Hey Akane, you never told me where you live" He asked as he ate the pastry she brought him. Chocolate filling his senses.

Akane simply pointed behind them.

"Over there" She said simply as she kept eating.

Naegi eyes opened as he took notice of that. If she lived in the opposite side, why did she always walked with him?

"But why are you walking with me then?" He asked with a bit of worry in his voice. He didn't want her to have a hard time reaching her home.

At this Akane ended up quickly eating the rest of her pastry before speaking.

"Well... I just wanted to do it. We have a nice chat, and I like spending time with you, plus I can just run and reach my home. Trust me Naegi, if anything I should thank you for letting me walk with you!" She said with optimism.

Naegi found himself smiling at her answer.

He took notice that Akane face seemingly got into one of thinking. With the same speed it changed she smiled and took Naegi by the arm.

"Oi Naegi let me show you something!" She spoke with an obvious happiness in her tone.

She took Naegi with her until they reached a small alley between two buildings. She took Naegi and proceeded to carry him.

"Now, whatever happens don't let go of me okay? Safety first!" She was smiling.

Before Naegi could ask what was going on she started to jump between the buildings, making use of the ledges of small windows between them. It didn't took much for her to reach the roof. Three floors was nothing for her.

The ultimate gymnast had no trouble making such feats of acrobatic ability. She was someone who fought almost daily with Sakura. She was strong even if she didn't look the part.

Naegi had his eyes closed the whole time as he clutched Akane. She laughed and motioned for him to let go.

"You can open your eyes Naegi. I wanted to share this with you and you are going to miss it if you don't open your eyes" Naegi eyes opened as he heard the softness in the voice of Akane.

He opened his eyes and let go of her as she placed him in the floor of the roof. He looked at her and she motioned to the front.

Naegi saw the sun setting and he heard Akane voice speaking behind him.

"The best part comes sun gets down… wait for it" She spoke with softness and patted a spot next to her as she was sitting in the roof.

Naegi sat next to her and he saw what she meant. The moment the sun went away the magic happened. For a moment the city was in darkness, and suddenly all the lights came on. A show of their city. Even if one didn't get to see the whole city from the third floor of the building, one could see the sea of lights and the silhouettes of the buildings illuminated by the lights.

It was magical. The city was totally different when one looked it up from such a spot. It was beautiful.

Naegi heard Akane speaking. She spoke with a mix of sadness in her voice.

"You know… when I was a child the roofs were the safest spot… the adults couldn't get me. No one could get me once I took to jump to reach the roofs. And I would always have to stay on them. Because if I went down the adults would… would get me you know?" She spoke with a seriousness Naegi wasn't used on seeing on her.

Naegi didn't know what to say. He felt there was more.

"The roofs were the safest place… and I would sometimes even sleep on them… I didn't want to go down. Because when I went down… they could be there. And I would rather avoid them"

She sighed hugging herself.

"I always loved seeing the city from the roofs. Because they would look shining. They would look like the stars up in the sky… and I hoped that one day I would be all over there, in those illuminated places… far from the ground. Up there in the lights. Safe"

She hugged herself tighter.

"You… you know what happened… how people… what they did…"

She took to look at Naegi whose eyes were full of unshed tears of sadness knowing he couldn't fix the past she lived in.

"Look at me, I am now in the city of lights… I am with everyone under the spotlight….but sometimes… sometimes I wonder if I really got away from the ground, everyone is so different from me…"

She got surprised when she felt Naegi hugging her. And she hugged him back.

"Naegi… I made it, didn't I? I am no longer down there right?"

Naegi answer was to nod as he tightened his hug around her.

Naegi couldn't avoid speaking.

"Why are you telling me all this?" He asked with care.

He heard her chuckle.

"Because I like you… is only fair you know all about me" She said with happiness in her voice.

Naegi nodded.

"I like you too Akane" He broke the hug and looked at Akane who looked at him with eyes full of longing.

"No Naegi, is not the same… I like you… as I like you in how couples like each other" She closed her eyes smiling.

Speaking of her past, and the hug of Naegi had made her feel lighter than she had ever felt during a gymnast competition. She felt light because she had just thrown away a huge weight she didn't let anyone know she was carrying.

Naegi face got red and he didn't know what to say. And his mouth betrayed his brain by saying his thoughts out loud.

"I… I don't know what to say…" He spoke what his mind thought in confusion.

Akane simply smiled and hugged him.

"Then don't say anything, I will wait for you" She said with fondness in her voice.

Naegi didn't really know what happened. So he spoke while he was in the hug.

"You love me?" He said with disbelief in his voice.

Akane simply nodded while holding him.

"I guess you could say it like that" She spoke in her usual way full of happiness with a teasing tone in it.

She kept the hug going for a while before she looked at him making some distance between them.

"You can kiss me you know? I wouldn't mind it" She spoke to him with softness.

Naegi didn't know how to react at that. He didn't know if that was Akane speaking, or the past she had to go through.

As if sensing it she approached Naegi and looked him in the eyes.

"If you don't want to kiss me… or you don't like me… you don't need to force yourself okay? I will wait for as long as is needed for you to feel comfortable" She spoke with softness.

Naegi closed his eyes and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. He spoke while red in the face and stuttering.

"I…I-I don't have a proper answer n-now… but I will come with o-one…" He said keeping his eyes closed refusing to see the angry expression of Akane at being kissed on her cheek.

Instead, he was forced to open her eyes at the loud laugh from Akane.

"Ah! So you are not rejecting me! I can live with that! I will wait for as long as its needed!" She took Naegi up in her arms and twirled him around the roof. Naegi screamed in fear but Akane kept laughing simply mentioning a phrase that only got him redder in the face.

"I will never let you go, don't worry"

* * *

Akane told him to close his eyes before they went down from the roof. With a few quick jumps they were down the road. She made sure to make company to Naegi until they reached his home. When he was in the door he looked behind him to see a smiling Akane who waved at him.

He approached her before going to his home.

"Akane… are you sure? Surely… surely there is someone else for you"

Naegi was insecure about being worthy of someone like Akane. The girl simply laughed.

"You didn't dump me nor accepted, but I expect an answer, but I will wait as long as it's needed for you to have one, trust me. My feelings for you won't go away, see for yourself" She spoke with the happiness that characterized her.

Naegi face got immensely red as she took his hand and placed it on her chest. Naegi tried to refuse to have his hand there but she soothed him telling him to just listen. He closed his eyes as she spoke. Plus her iron grip made him unable to remove his hand.

"Feel it?" She said with fondness.

Naegi could feel her heartbeat. He nodded and she spoke.

"It beats for you. So trust me, my feelings are not going anywhere else" She smiled as she let go of the hand of Naegi.

He immediately retired his hand as if it was burning and Akane laughed.

"You could have left it lingering there for a few seconds you know? I wouldn't have minded" She laughed as the face of Naegi could only get redder.

He said his goodbye to her and went away to the door quickly.

Even when he closed the door he could her voice from the other side of the street.

"I really wouldn't mind you know! Think about it!" She said with the usual loudness of the ever-energetic Akane.

Komaru looked at Naegi who was red in the face. Before she could even ask he spoke.

"I need to think a lot… girls are confusing you know?"

He said with a tone of happiness and weird resignation. As if he was happy and yet confused extremely at what happened.

Komaru did what any other sister would have done.

Went back to her room and try to fake that whatever happened to Naegi remained his business only. She didn't feel like entering whatever mess Naegi had gotten himself into.

She only spoke a thing to her brother.

"You are alone in this one Naegi, sorry but I am not getting into whatever mess you got in" She spoke with finality in her voice.

She went away.

Naegi simply took a bath and in the privacy of the bath, he spoke to himself. As if to confirm what happened just moments ago.

"Akane Owari said she loves me…"

He could hear in the back of his mind the teasing voice of Akane laughing as she repeated herself.

 _I guess you could say it like that._

Truthfully, he would have troubles sleeping.

* * *

 **CUT!**

 **Holly molly Batman! That was a long one for me. Now, the first girl has spoken her feelings for our luckster! How will things go on with this knowledge on his mind? We will just have to keep reading. Well you read, I got to write lol.**

 **Akane being the first one to confess her feelings seemed logical to me you know. She is the most forward from the three girls.**

 **Shoutout to Dex21, tobi, 1995hzq, doomqwer, dfriel1996 and wesst1 for commenting in the last chapter. Also thanks to the mysterious guest who comments.**

 **Hope you all liked this chapter see ya soon in chapter 5. Keep rocking.**

 **Chapter 5: Feelings that are not a secret.**


	5. Feelings that are not a secret

**Thanks everyone for the great reception with this fanfic! Also thanks mysterious guest who told me about the mistake with Komaru calling him Naegi instead of Makoto. Also, Wesst1 just updated his fanfic, Everyday Life with Ultimate Girls, I recommend all of you to check it out, is awesome! Let us go!**

 **Chapter 5: Feelings that are not a secret**

 _When my heart beats fast, I know I am alive.  
When I feel the sweat coming from my forehead, I know I am putting an effort.  
When my heart gets warm, I know is because I am in love with you.  
And when our hands meet each other… I know you love me back._

Similar were the thoughts of a running Akane who was making her way back home. Just a while ago she had pretty much confessed to Naegi how she felt. She couldn't have been happier. Her movements expressed not only her energy. They also worked to show off how happy she was.

An usual runner of the zone. Nekomaru Nidai was seeing her friend running without missing a beat. He nodded at himself. He pretty much knew what happened…

Or so he thought at least.

Akane was someone who could change moods incredibly fast. So he was mostly hoping that everything went well. And hopefully by the way she was going around it did. If not he would just ask her tomorrow in case she didn't told him.

The advantage of being friends with Akane was that it was easy to chat with her… as long as you didn't chatted about missing homework. That could be a bit problematic, as more often than not she would ask what homework he was speaking about.

He smiled at the happiness of Akane and resumed his running.

She would be telling him all the details surely tomorrow.

And in fact it happened tomorrow.

First thing in the morning. It took Nekomaru by surprise.

"Coach! I wasn't rejected!" She spoke happily and he couldn't avoid smiling at her.

"That's great Akane. So you two are a couple?" He was happy for her.

"No! He didn't had an answer, so I will have to wait! Isn't that great?!" She spoke with the same cheer of always confusing him.

If Naegi didn't reject her, but didn't accept her either…. Didn't that meant things were simply the same between them?

He kept those thoughts for himself and nodded at her.

"Indeed. So what are you going to do?" He wondered what could be the next plan in her head.

She smiled as she sat in her desk and procured food from her bag.

"That's easy coach. I will do the same as always, it has worked well so far, Naegi gets me" She smiled as she proceeded to eat.

In a way he had to just agree. Whatever she had been doing worked well. She did say it. Naegi didn't reject her, nor did he accepted. Sounded like he needed time. Whatever would happen he would support her.

* * *

Needless to say the morning was proving to be interesting for Peko Pekoyama. Mostly because she heard the name of Naegi from Akane. And well, pretty much everyone who was in the classroom early had heard her. It was hard to avoid listening to someone who was loud every morning.

The only ones in the classroom aside of her were Nekomaru Nidai, Chiaki Nanami, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu and Akane Owari.

Thing was. She not only heard the name of Naegi. She heard Akane saying Naegi didn't reject her. Nor accepted her romantic feelings?

She found herself honestly confused. And in a way she wanted nothing else but ask Akane what happened between her and Naegi. But doing that would look rather out of place for her. No one knew she was friends with Naegi. As a fact if they knew of Naegi and her, they only know they were a tutor and pupil.

And that's saying they placed attention at the list of the first years that Chisa Yukizome had placed yesterday.

She was curious. She had seen Akane yesterday sharing the donut with Naegi that alone proved she was already more than a simple friend with Naegi. But as far as her knowledge of Naegi went he was single. He spoke of all the important people in his life. His sister Komaru, his friends on the class 78, and that was pretty much everyone in the class. But he never mentioned a romantic partner.

Well. She didn't ask. But she was sure Naegi wasn't one to hide away stuff. He spoke with too much honesty as to keep something like that hidden.

If she were to ask… would he tell her the truth of whatever happened?

She was in doubt with her thoughts.

Mostly because she honestly wanted her tutoring sessions to help Naegi. Not to distract him from his work… but just maybe having a bit of casual talk wouldn't hurt. Yeah. Is only natural for a tutor to worry about their pupil.

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu knew Peko well. He didn't had trouble getting her thoughts. Mostly like family knowing when someone is thinking something out of place. And he could totally agree with himself that he knew what to say to her.

"You should ask instead of going around in circles in your head" He said in a casual tone. Almost one that could be said was dismissive and uncaring by others.

But Peko Pekoyama wasn't others. And she clearly got the hidden meaning in the words of Fuyuhiko

 _Go ahead and ask him._

She offered a small "Thank you" to Fuyuhiko who kept his attention in his notes. A small smile on his face knowing he had helped his closest friend, one that was even considered a member of his family.

Time would be the only one that could tell what would happen today.

* * *

The classes started. And one Chiaki Nanami found herself wondering. What was she wondering? It was regarding her classmate's recent behavior. To be more exact Akane Owari and Peko Pekoyama.

Both classmates were acting different from their usual routines, to be more exact, she would dare say they were acting as it their heads were somewhere else. To understand Akane it was a rather easy job, she carrier her heart in her sleeves, and she wore no sleeves for starters. It was easy to get her thanks to how straightforward she was.

Peko was different. She could be seen as cold and dismissive. But she often was really polite and never brought troubles to anyone, in fact she could often be seen diffusing situations that could look to get violent. Yet yesterday she smiled at her. Needless to say that had make Peko look way more human… more like the rest of her classmates. A normal girl.

To be more exact. A clearly in love girl. It was different to see such a side on the normally stoic face of Peko Pekoyama. But it was a welcomed site as she felt less intimidated by her when she smiled. She would go as far as to say that Peko looked cute while she smiled. And that was a huge change.

Akane had clearly stated she confessed her feelings to Naegi. The boy who shared a donut with Akane and didn't lost a limb. What's more, it seemed he didn't reject her…. Nor accepted? Quite the conundrum of a situation

But Akane was happy, and that was good.

Because a loud Akane was a happy one, and a happy Akane meant the classroom would feel her happy vibe.

She did found herself cheering for Peko though. After all, if that smile was nothing to go by, she was seriously interested in the boy.

He must be one amazing boy to get the attention of both of her classmates.

* * *

"Naegi? Naegi? Hey are you okay?" Mikan Tsumiki found herself eating her lunch with a distracted Naegi. He seemed to be in thought for a while, and she was worried maybe he was getting dizzy and seeming to lack air. Maybe a concussion? A hidden injury?

"Oh, sorry Mikan, I was thinking…" Naegi spoke and his face got slightly red. By now Mikan had learned Naegi got flustered easily. Meaning he was probably thinking… such themes?! Was he having fantasies of him being hurt and needing to be constantly attended by a nurse who would diligently stay by his side guiding each step of his recovery. And the nurse would secretly be trying to hinder his progress so they would stay together for long until the point the patient would fall in love with her?!

Needless to say. When Mikan stayed quiet and suddenly started to mumble it was Naegi turn to ask if she was okay.

"Mikan? Are you well?" He asked with a bit of concern.

She looked at him and her thoughts got more stable and focused.

"Oh sorry Naegi… I was just thinking… so what's in your head?" With confidence in her voice she asked as to help Naegi with whatever plagued his thoughts.

Naegi seemed awkward in speaking but he managed to speak while his gaze was focused on his lunch.

"…Mikan have you ever been in love?" He asked quietly.

Mikan found herself thinking.

She thought she had been in love once. But that didn't last. What she did learn from that experience though was how to know when you are not in love.

"…C-Can't say I have…" She spoke quietly this time.

She had not been in love before. Now she found herself having a nice spot for the student in front of her. But that wasn't something she could openly go saying. Even less, to say it to the face of the same person she held those feelings. She would take her time.

"Oh… I… Akane…" Naegi tried to finish the words but he found no simple way to say it.

Which was a way to simply say it?

"Akane likes me" Naegi kept his gaze on his lunch which was looking more interesting with the need as to hide.

Mikan Tsumiki wasn't someone who managed to avoid showing her surprise. And yet it seemed she had managed to suppress it. But the truth was she was simply so shocked she didn't had words to speak or express herself. Meaning her body threw out the only phrase in her head.

"Eh…" She said it clearly and louder than her last words, which Naegi took as an indication to go on.

"She said she likes me… and well she asked me if I wanted to be her boyfriend… in her own way" Naegi spoke clearly.

He started to smile and get flustered as he remembered how clear she had been regarding her feelings for him. At the same time, Mikan was looking pale and trying to get the air back into her lungs. She wasn't sure if she would manage. Plus the biggest problem of that was that she was supposed to be the nurse, who helps the nurse when she gets in an emergency?

"And well… I said I didn't know…I didn't reject her… but I didn't said yes either so, I am wondering if what I did was okay…" Naegi found himself smiling with a bit of confusion on his face looking for advice.

Mikan who had managed to get the air back into her lungs simply offered her honest opinion.

"I…I t-think you s-should think about it… not rejecting her is like saying y-yes, but not accepting her is like saying no… so you should think about it" She offered a smile to her friend.

She was really having a hard time picturing the fact Naegi might end up in a relationship with someone like Akane. She couldn't offer a lot against her. Akane was beautiful, she was confident… and well she was just more interesting than her…

And while she held feelings for Naegi. It wasn't so easy to speak of them. The right thing she decided was to support Naegi.

"Thanks Mikan, I needed advice on this" Naegi smiled at her.

Mikan decided right then at seeing that smile that maybe since Naegi hadn't said yes to Akane that she might not fully support him.

"R-Remember Naegi, there are things more i-important than looks!" She said with her voice shaking a bit.

Needless to say Naegi found himself blinking at Mikan holding him by the shoulders while clearly stating why there were things more important than looks. And being clear on how he should not be accepting food at random times.

Their lunch resumed in tranquility after that. They were only chatting of bits of their morning so far. Mikan asked him if he had spoken with anyone else regarding Akane confession. He said that while he didn't spoke of it, Sakura and Hina suspected of it already.

Needless to say Mikan insisted on taking Naegi back to his classroom herself. She was making sure his health was well after all. If her were to suddenly faint while walking to the classroom it would be a tragedy. So better for a nurse to stay close to him.

"Thanks Mikan, I will see you later then" Naegi smiled at her as she left him in his classroom.

It was then than in a rather blunt and daring move Mikan went ahead and hugged Naegi.

"S-Stay safe! And take care of your health! O-Otherwise we will be seeing in the nurse office again… in which you are welcome anytime!" She spoke with confidence as she stuttered and left him after the hug.

Needless to say Mikan considered the hug had been a huge success. But Ibuki Mioda thought something else.

"Look at you! All daring going for a hug, can Ibuki get one too?" She spoke with cheer opening her arms at Mikan.

The latter just groaned in embarrassment at being seen offering a hug like that to Naegi. Still she had a question to ask.

"Where is Miharu… weren't you t-two having lunch together?" She asked with curiosity trying to avoid the theme of the hug.

Her intention was a failure when she heard Ibuki next words.

"She said she was going to reveal the photo of the hug, she said you looked cute! Ibuki agrees with her!" The cheerfulness never left her and Mikan was absolutely sure her two friends were tailing her if they always managed to capture her in her more embarrassing moments with Naegi.

* * *

Naegi was meanwhile in simple thought during their last class of the day. Art class. They were asked to draw something as a free theme. He wasn't sure what to make, he asked the teacher for pointers. But he said a free theme meant exactly that. A free theme. In other words and quoting the teacher.

" _Whatever your heart decides is good Naegi"_

Needless to say he didn't need to hear the word heart in that moment.

As he was in thought Sakura and Hina who were both holding sketchbooks approached him. He looked at them and waved, offering them a welcoming smile as they took to sit close to him.

"Not finding inspiration Naegi?" Hina spoke trying to cheer him up into drawing anything.

Truth was he was thinking too much to choose something. Sakura was in thought before speaking.

"Why not draw the first thing in your mind? That's what I do, I clean my head of any thought from the outside and focus, it works well for me, look" She spoke with her usual seriousness that while others might confuse with a stern tone, was actually her being warm to her friends.

Naegi looked at the picture of Sakura carrying the whole classroom over her shoulders. While not exactly masterpiece material, it was an interesting picture. Plus the fact she had drawn it in a more…soft style spoke a lot of her artistic ability.

Hina meanwhile had drawn herself swimming. A simple drawing but she looked happy with the result. Hina spoke after showing her drawing to him.

"Draw whatever makes you smile Naegi! That works for me!" As she spoke with cheer in her voice, Sakura nodded at her. Those were good advices.

Needless to say with Hina loudness some students of the class 78 got curious as to what Naegi would draw. After all a lot of things made him smile. So what or who would he draw that made him smile? Needless to say they were interested to see the result. Though some weren't that good at faking their interest in the drawing.

"D-Draw it a-already Naegi Sama…" Fukawa was expectant to see.

Maybe Naegi piece would be similar to hers. She had drawn herself carrying Naegi away. Her skills was more with words than with images. Yet she thought she managed to picture clearly her thoughts.

"Interesting…" Celes meanwhile was simply hoping she would get more insight on the lucky student. Not like she really cared. But she did wanted to satiate her curiosity.

Naegi got into drawing.

As most of his skills, Naegi was average into drawing. So he just let his mind focus and let out all other thoughts. Something that made him smile. Something that made him smile in wonder… something that had made the day feel special…

By the end of the art class everyone had submitted their drawings. Naegi didn't finish on time but the teacher accepted the drawing as it was saying it looked pretty good the way it was.

Naegi had drawn an image of the city at night. Two silhouettes were looking from a roof at the city from their position. A small silhouette close to another larger one. One could say it was obviously female.

Those who had been interested in the drawing were curious of the figure. Two students though had no trouble discerning the silhouette. Sakura had met that silhouette to many times, and Hina had seen what happened the other day. She found herself giggling with Sakura.

"Akane Owari eh? Can't say it surprises me, they were so cute yesterday!" She spoke happily for Naegi.

Sakura nodded while crossing her arms in approval.

"She is honest with her feelings, so I don't fear she will have troubles expressing them to Naegi" She spoke with a warm tone. She was happy for her friend and her constant challenger. Both deserved to be happy and enjoy such feelings.

Sakura looked to the outside of the classroom through the windows in thought. Kenshiro would probably agree with her that there was nothing like love to impulse a warrior to try harder in his look for constant betterment.

* * *

Naegi meanwhile was making his way to see his tutor in the park. He was making a great time for once.

Peko had agreed it would be well for them to keep seeing each other in the park. When he reached said spot a sight he never saw before welcomed him. Peko was braiding her hair. She usually wore two braids, one on each side of her head, she was finishing the braid when Naegi arrived.

Peko had taken the liberty of undoing her own hair and start braiding it again in preparation for her talk with Naegi. She needed focus, and she found the act of braiding her own hair a task that demanded constant focus and patience. Just like the sword, it was discipline and concentration together with constant diligence in practice that brought the best results.

When she saw Naegi she smiled at him. She had taken notice during the day that the idea of Naegi brought her a smile in a natural way. It didn't put any effort on her. She just smiled.

"Naegi good to see you… you are rather early this time" She smiled as she spoke.

Naegi was nodding with a smile, he had made a good time and was proud of it.

"Yeah, I managed to make a good time, had no troubles reaching the park this time" He said with optimism. Considering his usual problems trying to get in time it was a huge achievement making it right in time.

"Were you eager to see me?" Peko spoke in her usual tone. It seemed like an innocent question, she felt it was an innocent question.

It took her a few seconds to analyze properly how it sounded. It wasn't such an innocent question, she kept her serious face as she saw the expression on his face becoming a flustered one. She thought on offering Naegi help to get out of the situation, but she remained silent as she expected an answer. She had already made the question. Might as well get something from it.

"I… Yeah, I guess I am always eager to see you… I mean we are friends" Naegi chuckled as he spoke with his characteristic optimism.

Peko face was serious. But Naegi could see the surprise in her eyes behind her glasses. She smiled and nodded.

"I like to spend time with you too Naegi" Her voice was soft as she spoke.

She proceeded to take out the notes she managed to get Naegi to study around the subjects he had troubles. Peko took notice during their talk that Naegi didn't had troubles per say bad. If anything, he only wanted to raise his grades from his average score.

She respected that. In addition, she would help him get that done. It was the least she could offer him for his help in making her smile. She always thought she would end up being a tool forever. A tool unable to express herself.

And she honestly thought there was not much of a need to have emotions. However, school and her classmates had showed her that it was rather sad being unable to express herself. Because she cared for all of them. She cared a lot.

Without notice, like a strike of good luck to her Naegi appeared that day and solved the problem she couldn't solve herself no matter how much she tried. He didn't know her, he had no reason to come to help, no reason to ask if she was okay and even by then he had no reason to try or to place his time on her when they didn't know each other.

But he did. And she was thankful.

Because in his simple act of kindness, one act he did because she would later find out was the way he was all the time; they ended up becoming friends, and she ended up slowly opening up the gates for her emotions.

Sure, it was slow. She had managed to smile to her classmate by thinking of Naegi. But she knew there would come a time in which everyone would see how much she cared for them. They would all see how Peko Pekoyama was actually a caring person, and not a cold and serious swordswoman.

She was indeed a swordswoman, but one that cared for everyone. One that would love nothing more than being able to show how much they all meant to her.

She had been so much in thought and smiling during the whole time she never took notice of how she closed her eyes as she smiled. She never took notice of the flustered Makoto Naegi who was confused as why she was smiling so peacefully.

It wasn't bad.

It just confused Naegi at the same time that it made him smile seeing her so happy. But the thing that got him flustered were the thoughts of how cute Peko looked like that.

It reminded him of someone else who looked cute by smiling and just being herself.

"Akane" He spoke softly

Naegi found himself saying her name softly. And in the peacefulness of the park it might as well been a scream. Listening to the name, Peko opened up her eyes in surprise. She had totally forgotten she was supposed to ask him regarding his relationship with Akane.

Good thing he spoke.

"Oh Naegi, I heard something interesting from Akane this morning, she said she confessed to you" She spoke with a casual tone, trying to make Naegi feel that she didn't got any interest in the theme.

Sadly she was rather interested, and as a result she ended up approaching Naegi as she asked. Meaning Naegi totally got the fact she was curious.

Still he smiled. Naegi was unable to deny how happy he was. Peko was really showing more emotions. Maybe emotions he would have rather wanted to avoid being the target on, but if she was getting better, of course he would feel happy.

"Well… yeah, she confessed she liked me, and that she wanted us to be a couple" He spoke with honesty as he got flustered remembering Akane expressing herself.

Akane was a lot of things, and those things captured Naegi attention for sure. But he wasn't sure if he could just accept becoming a couple with her because he wasn't sure if he was the right one for her.

Peko saw the doubt in the eyes of Naegi. She ended up sighing before speaking. This might hurt her own feelings, but it had to be done for Naegi sake. She would be damned first than not helping Naegi,

"Do you know Akane is an excellent judge of character? If she thinks of you in such a way, is because she sees how great you are Naegi. And I trust Akane judgement. You might think you are not the right one for her, but if she thinks you are the right one… what more do you need? Shouldn't her opinion be more worth than what others could say?" She said with a serious tone, but not a cold one.

She was simply stating facts, she knew Naegi was great, even though he himself thought he was simply average, in the eyes of many Naegi was amazing. Just the fact alone that he could become friends with everyone was proof of how amazing he was. She knew he was amazing; he just needed to accept others saw him in such a way.

"You know, you always speak how amazing I am Naegi… but I envy how easily you get to express yourself, how you are just yourself without any problem, how kind you are and how much care you show. You are just as amazing Naegi. I mean it. Moreover, I think Akane sees the same great qualities in you. Trust me; she wouldn't go confessing her feelings like that if she wasn't sure" She spoke firmly, yet her words were laced in more than seriousness.

Her words that could seem serious and without anything more than truth we laced with a lot of warm and care. And Naegi felt his face reddening at the fact he could feel how much Peko seemed to look him.

"I know I find myself... happier with you Naegi… I get Akane feelings for you… because I hold the same feelings for you" She said softly.

Her eyes betrayed her thoughts. And before Naegi could even ask her if she was okay she quickly kissed his cheek as she looked at him.

"I hold the same feelings Akane has. So please. Whatever happens, don't let things change between us. I didn't lie when I said I am happier with you Naegi" Her words were spoke with haste.

And Naegi understood the reason even if he couldn't see the red face of Peko Pekoyama as she walked away from their usual spot.

He wasn't faring better than her as his face was red and he found himself touching the cheek that Peko had quickly marked with her lips in a soft and fleeting kiss.

* * *

Needless to say Peko Pekoyama had never thought on confessing her feelings in such a manner. But a lot of things could be said about her. She was walking straighter, her steps quick as she made her way home. A smile was plastered in her face as she was flustered. She had confessed her feelings. Maybe not in a way that was proper.

But there was something that made her smile.

Naegi didn't seem to express any bad thoughts, and when she saw his face, it wasn't the face of someone who disliked what happened.

She would dare say tutoring had been a success. Know she needed to tutor a training dummy about standing in the path of her sword. She had a lot of energy to release.

* * *

When Naegi went to the path to wait for Akane to appear in the usual spot of the road he wasn't disappointed in seeing her standing there already with a small bag at her side.

"Hey! Hope you are hungry!" She said in her usual cheerful voice.

Naegi waved at her as he closed the distance. Before he could speak he was greeted by a hug and a kiss to his cheek. His face turned red immediately and he could hear the laugh of Akane.

"Sorry! But you better get used to it, I like to show how much I like you" The cheerfulness in her voice didn't seem to falter at all. If anything it increased.

"A-Akane, I think you said you would give me time" He said trying to avoid the embarrassment he felt from the kiss.

She laughed as they started their walk together. She spoke the answer Naegi didn't expected.

"I said I would wait for you to feel comfortable with kissing me, I never said I wouldn't kiss you" She laughed by the end of her words as she took a pastry from the bag.

Naegi made memory of their day on the roof. And it was true. She never said anything of not kissing him. She just said she would wait for him to feel comfortable. As Naegi took a pastry offered to him by a smiling Akane he couldn't avoid noticing her. He knew the look of Akane. But he was seeing something else.

She was smiling and she walked with a confidence that showed how much she was enjoying being with him. The words of Peko resonated in his head.

 _You might think you are not the right one for her, but if she thinks you are the right one… what more do you need? Shouldn't her opinion be more worth than what others could say?"_

"Akane… you said you would wait for answer right?" He spoke feeling courage. Maybe more than courage, it could be called hope.

"I said that, why?" She smiled while looking at him.

Naegi breathed and looked at her.

"If… if I were to accept… what would happen?" He spoke softly.

He felt the same courage seemingly leaving his body before Akane just chuckled.

"I would simply hug you more, maybe kiss you more. Things wouldn't really change. I simply would show more often how much I like you" She said with honesty and calm.

Naegi was impressed at the simple answer.

Akane was a simple person. And that wasn't bad. If anything it helped him think clearly.

"Thanks Akane… I…"

Before he could go one Akane silenced him by kissing his lips softly. The action leaving Naegi with his eyes opened in surprise and a laughing Akane happy.

"Didn't I said it before? Don't force yourself, speak what is on your mind"

She offered a soft smile and her eyes showed how much she wanted to help him.

He nodded and both kept walking. During the trip to his home he simply nodded and spoke.

"Mind if we give it a try? Going on a date?"

Akane smiled and closed her eyes.

"I would love to give us a try"

Naegi was red faced when he came back home as Akane was simply humming making her way back home with a silly smile on her face.

Things were going, where? Who knows, but somewhere things were going for sure.

* * *

 **CUT!**

 **Well thats a good way to the start the fanfic this week for sure, we will be seeing more on the next chapter! We are going places! Once again, thanks everyone for your comments, favs and follows, all of you rock!**

 **Chapter 6: The Secret of the Blade.**


	6. The secret of the blade

**Hello everyone! Back in action and hopefully bringing back the good ol work rhythm, author note by the end, as always own nothing of Danganronpa (lies I got the game) and thanks everyone for your kind reviews, follows and faves! Uploading from a phone is hard!**

 **Chapter 6: The secret of the blade.**

 _A naked blade is one who hides nothing. It only shows truth as it moves and cuts through the walls of adversity. A blade that hides nothing and that lives for truth. It might be unable to show expressions, but a blade like that expresses way more than others give it credit for._

When someone choses to expose their feelings a lot of stuff can go badly or simply go in silence. Such is the way leafs moves in the wind. They flow in the soft breeze guided in the silent wind.

In a similar way, the feelings of a swordswoman are guide through the quick and precise motions of her blade. Because such is the way some live by. Live and die by the blade. Tools at the mercy of their masters.

A particular swordswoman was fidgeting with her braid as she sighed in the park. She had decided it would be good to help Naegi. But help him with what one would wonder. She was already helping him in the academic field, and while she was on top shape physically speaking. Naegi did not need help on that regard, no; she was helping Naegi with something different today.

"Sorry! I thought you would like this" Naegi spoke with an embarrased tone as he presented a flower to Peko.

A single flower, a daffodil. She knew the flower had many meanings but she wondered what particular meaning Naegi wanted to share with her.

"I heard they mean pretty eyes… and well… thought you would like it" Naegi face was red. And Peko was surprised.

Her eyes were a hard topic to approach. Her red eyes would often look too intimidating and never had someone complimented her eyes in such a way. Of course, in the Yakuza those eyes were as a symbol of strength and something to fear. However, Naegi had simply chose to say her eyes were pretty.

She smiled. Doing her best to hold the glee she felt.

"Shall we go then?"

They had a fake date to do after all.

* * *

Naegi had told the day before all about the idea of taking Akane in a date, but the thing was Naegi knew next to nothing of taking a girl in a date; as such, he had decided to ask for help to Peko. She made it clear that she also knew nothing about having dates, but she in her own way offered advice.

"I learned to use the sword through practice and repetition. Why not have a fake date with a friend? Something to give you practice on what to do with Akane when you invite her"

She had spoken those words during tutoring. She didn't expected Naegi nodding and asking her if she could help him. She wondered if Naegi didn't understood the part she had no experience in dating anyone.

Naegi had simply insisted that he couldn't really ask any other girls as he would feel embarrassed about even proposing it. Therefore, a reluctant Peko Pekoyama accepted the idea of going in a fake date.

It would be a lie to say she didn't wanted this. That she didn't wanted to have a date with Naegi. But it was one thing to have it for real as a couple and another one to have a fake date to get him ready for his date with Akane.

She sighed internally. The girl was blunt. She wasn't one so much for school as she was in street smarts and her gut instincts that never seemed to fail her. And she had been able to convey her feelings to Naegi with the same bluntness and straightforwardness that made her who she was. It would be a lie if she said she didn't envy the simple way Akane was always able to express whatever was going around in her head.

"You okay Peko?" The voice of Naegi broke the thoughts that were in her head as she nodded.

"Yeah I am fine Naegi. Don't worry, so where are we going?" She tried her best to smile but she couldn't thanks to the roaming thoughts on her head.

Naegi was taking notice of this and simply went ahead and pointed to a place he had looked before. A place he just knew Peko would love. Even if she seemed a bit worried he knew that things would go great.

Peko saw the establishment. It looked like a private coffee shop, nothing too showy, in fact it gave a homely vibe, and a part of her was thankful that Naegi decided to bring her to a more private place. She didn't know if she would do well with crowds in a fake date.

Naegi went ahead running to the door to open it for her. She ended up smiling seeing Naegi was trying to be a gentleman. She couldn't avoid to smile. When she was with him, her smile also decided to visit her face and stay there.

"Thank you, what a gentleman" She kept her smile as she entered.

Naegi face was trying to avoid the immense embarrassment that came with her smile. She looked happy. And she would look even happier soon.

"So what is…"

Peko couldn't keep speaking. She finally saw the attractive of the coffee shop. Cats and puppies. Cats and puppies everywhere she could see. They were freely walking around. With a few customers. A girl with glasses came smiling at them. She focused her sights at Naegi.

"Hello! You must be Naegi right? Follow me; the place you reserved is ready"

Both Naegi and Peko walked behind the cheerful girl whose uniform revealed she was obviously the one who made coffee, she wore an apron that had prints of cat paws in it. Naegi found it funny. But Peko could see the prints were not the result of a machine, but rather actual cat paws were in it. If she had to guess, the girl had cats around her all the day.

Which she could admit was something to envy.

After all animals evaded her. Even though she felt happy around the cats and the puppies she took notice how none seemed to approach her the same way they approached Naegi and the girl feet.

They were brought up to a room with small pillows in it for them to sit and a table in the middle. The girl left them a couple of menus and went on her merry way to the kitchen she guessed.

Naegi spoke to her.

"Well… how you feel? I thought you would like it, you have often said you like animals"

She nodded. She couldn't smile but she was feeling thankful for his thoughts.

In the end that was one of the many virtues Naegi had that he didn't knew. He was caring. He was someone who took notice of everything that made others happy and he would do his best to make them feel happy.

"I am thankful… but as you see… even here the cats and those puppies are avoiding me" She let out a sigh. As she pointed to the hallway.

Many small puppies and cats were seemingly confused on whether they could approach her or simply should go away. Most of them simply decided to keep going away and others who dared to even enter simply decided to stay behind Naegi.

Naegi nodded before a smile made its way into his face.

"He seems to be able to approach you though" Naegi pointed excitedly to her left.

She looked to her left. A small puppy was making its way to her. It didn't looked fearful or doubtful, he simply seemed to be taking its time, as if to ask for her permission. She looked at it and nodded. She thought there was something familiar in the puppy… but what it was… she couldn't find the word for it.

The fluffy brown dog barked when she motioned for him to come forward. With a small bark he came rushing at her. He was small, and he could barely get over her leg. She proceeded to scratch the small dog as she smiled.

"Oh! Lucky likes you!" The voice of the girl from before reappeared as she came back to ask for their orders.

"Lucky?" She asked to the girl who nodded.

"Yeah, I named him that way, I ended up finding him in the rain. If he hadn't barked I wouldn't have seen him, so I decided to call him Lucky, which is confusing because my cat name is Lucky"

The girl kept her ramblings regarding her cat. But then it came to her why she thought the dog was familiar. She took the small dog with her hands and carried her up to her face. She placed him next to the vision of Naegi who was looking with curiosity at her and she took notice of it.

Lucky fur was the same color as Naegi hair, and both shared those washed out hazel eyes.

This got her suddenly laughing. A small laugh, but still laughing.

Naegi didn't got this and neither the girl. But both found themselves smiling at her seeing her so happy.

The girl took notice that the girl that came with Naegi wasn't so intimidating as she once thought.

"You can adopt Lucky if you wish too… I mean, I would miss him, but he never approaches people you know? Is my first time seeing him looking so happy"

Peko smiled at the dog.

So both of them were similar. Both had troubles with people it seemed. She smiled as she placed him back in the floor, the small dog simply choosing to stay sit close to her leg.

"I would love that"

* * *

Needless to say, the coffee shop experience had been fun. Peko promised to come get Lucky later once she made a space for him. Naegi was happy the whole time they were walking. This time Peko decided to invite Naegi somewhere else. He had done something nice for her. And she was riding the high from getting a dog. An animal that simply did not fear her. And if anything decided to stay close to her.

Her thoughts were relaxed.

Naegi had done something rather meaningful for her. Moreover, she wanted to do something too.

The whole point of the fake date was for Naegi to get an idea on what he would need to do for a date with Akane, but she didn't know when, but the fake date was becoming something more for her. Therefore, she decided it might be the time to be more like the ultimate gymnast. And play it straight.

"Where are we going Peko?"

Naegi was simply following her as they made their way around the city. And back to the park they would often chat in. He didn't know where they were aiming to go. However, he simply followed her.

She looked behind and smiled at him.

"Do you trust me Naegi?"

She spoke with such a softness in her voice it took Naegi by surprise. He found himself nodding. She smiled and simply kept walking.

"Good, because I trust you too. So I know you will like this place"

They kept walking in the park until they reached a spot. To be more exact. Their usual spot. She was right, he liked that place.

When she sat she patted for him to sit close to her. Not in front of her as usual, but rather next to her. He sat and both looked at the lake from their position. Silence reigned.

They had chose to get together in the park for their rehearse date. And now they were here once again. Naegi felt they hadn't really done much. If anything they were simply coming back after the long time in the shop.

But he felt something resonating in him.

An answer.

The point of the date wasn't for it to be big or showy. It was simply a chance to share something.

To share time with someone you like. A date wasn't something different from simply hanging out with others. The only difference is that in a date you go out with someone you care.

His thoughts went to Akane as he suddenly felt a grip on his left hand.

Peko right hand was softly holding his. Her thumb making circular motions in his hand.

"Do you know why I like this park?"

Naegi found himself simply denying in silence, his focus solely on Peko words and on her serious face as she spoke. Her red eyes reminiscing of something that was of the past and yet not so far.

"I like the park because I was able to smile in here. The day we met you made me smile"

She kept her gaze looking far away.

"I like the park because in here I smiled, and mostly because we met here, and I just remember that day every time we meet here. No matter what, if I think of you, I smile"

She smiled at him, her red eyes shining with the light that came passing through the tree over their heads.

"I always thought… I would just be a tool, the rest of my life. A tool doesn't need emotions, and it doesn't need anything but an objective and someone to use it… but you made me see I got emotions, and even if I have a tough time expressing them… I have them"

Her left hand decided to make company to his hand as now she was holding both the hands of Naegi who was forced to look straight to her.

He found himself feeling similar as to when Akane spoke her feelings to him. Moreover, in a way that both made him feel a weird mix of good and bad.

Good because he liked to see her expressing herself, bad because he was really thinking Akane wouldn't appreciate him being in such a position with Peko.

The swordswoman didn't notice or didn't care as she continue speaking.

"I feel like when I am with you, you bring the best out of me. And I thank you for that"

She smiled and her eyes kept focused on him. Naegi had never noticed how deep her eyes were. How deep the red in her eyes were. Yet he didn't felt scared. He didn't feel threatened by such eyes, if anything, he could see the red of those eyes was showing an impressive amount of care.

Eyes that many would consider scary were simply full of warmth and care for him.

Naegi didn't needed to hear it to understand what Peko felt.

Her eyes were more expressing than anyone would give them credit for.

"I only want you to let me make you as happy, as you make me"

She smiled as she held hands with Naegi. Naegi face was red and Peko own face was blushing, yet her smile was unmoving as she was glad of having voiced her thoughts.

Naegi simply nodded at her. And spoke the words that Peko didn't want to hear.

"I… I…"

She immediately silenced him by placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

"I don't need you to answer my feelings… but I would love if you could take them into account. I know Akane spoke her feelings first. But I would wish you could consider mine too"

She smiled once more before standing up and simply walking away. Leaving a flabbergasted Naegi behind of her.

* * *

Needless to say, one the emotional high went away and Peko Pekoyama was in her home she found herself to throw her face at a pillow in frustration at what had transpired. She had pretty much confessed she liked Naegi.

Whats more, she had made even sure to explain she didn't care if he chose Akane. That she was still willing to try to get her feelings for him corresponded.

Needless to say, her friend was simply in the outside of her room knocking mentioning they had a call regarding a dog.

The answer he received was muffled from a pillow. So he decided to simply say through the phone that he would go to pick the dog.

At this point he felt Peko was probably a sister he could understand without words. A scary thought because he didn't want to ask what happened to get her like that. But he could have a general idea of what had been going around.

* * *

Makoto Naegi was simply taking a bath in his home. He was in thought and hoped the water would help him order his thoughts. He had gotten confessed by Peko Pekoyama. The ultimate swordswoman considered he was someone worthy of her feelings. And while he would have thought it was wrong of her. Her own words resounded once again.

He sighed. Everything would have been easier if it wasn't that he considered Peko as someone so nice. Many could say things about her. How reserved she was, how could she seem cold and uncaring. But Naegi knew that was because they simply didn't know how hard it was for her to express her feelings.

How much effort she placed to try to speak with her classmates. How much she cared for all of them and how much she liked them all. Many would have a hard time seeing through her. And only those with good abilities to judge people would get that she was actually someone who cared for others and that she was actually really kind.

He sighed as he let himself soak a bit more in the water.

He couldn't understand why such amazing people would like someone so average. Why they would express something like that… but as Peko had said before. The important thing, was what they thought, not the others. They could decide who they loved…

And they chose him.

With a groan he let himself soak in the water hoping he might have a solution

Needless to say, the water offered no relief.

* * *

A soft knock in the door of the Naegi household brought the attention of Komaru to the door. She saw through the peephole what looked like a girl with long hair in pigtails at her side.

"Hello? Is Makoto Naegi here?"

Komaru sighed.

"He is out, he went to the movies I believe"

She heard a soft thanks and saw the girl going away. Honestly, Makoto Naegi was more popular than he believed.

"Komaru? Who was at the door?"

She smiled as she waved at him.

"No one, wrong house brother"

She smiled and when Makoto went away she sighed. It wasn't easy to distract the many female and even male classmates who wanted to look for him.

* * *

 **CUT! A bit short after my time out, but hey sorry there, work can be hectic and I do need to pay my bills for the phone, food and rent. Sadly I am not popular enough for a or Youtube xD see ya soon in our next chapter! Something you guys been expecting!**

 **Chapter 7.- The secret of the nurse heart!**

 **p.s. Anyone plays Magic the Gathering? Got honestly curious.**


	7. The Secret of the nurse heart!

**Hello all of you lovely people! Is good to be bringing you a new chapter again! Let us go! There is an important note regarding the story in the end, so I would appreciate if you read it! Once again and as always! Super thankful on the reviews, favs and follows, all of you rock!**

 **Chapter 7.- The secret of the nurse heart!**

 _A nurse is someone who touches the life of someone to make it feel better. And sometimes a patient touches the life of a nurse…_

Mikan Tsumiki, the school nurse as well as the ultimate Nurse was right now having both blessing and a curse in her hands. For one side she was with Naegi alone in the nurse office. That was the blessing. The curse was that this time Naegi was here because he had been in the middle of a punch that was directed to someone else.

Mondo and Ishimaru were getting rough with each other regarding a competition, Naegi tried to stop them and accidentally ended up receiving a punch from Mondo. The result was an unconscious Naegi and two scolded boys who were ashamed of having hurt their friend even if it was an accident.

Still, the good news was she would spend time caring for Naegi. As he was unconscious and placed in the bed she could only sigh in a weird mix between relief and sadness. For one side, she was happy Naegi looked like he would be well, yet she was sad he wasn't conscious enough as to have a chat.

Mikan placed her chin in her hands as she rested letting herself relax at the side of the bed seeing Naegi sleep.

"…I could just let you tied up here…"

She shook her head to take such ideas away. Is not like she wanted to tie Naegi up in place and hope to make sure that he wouldn't leave the nurse office. Is not like she wanted to keep him with her until he started to feel all embarrassed when he spoke of Akane, is not like she wanted those same reactions…

" _T-Tsumiki Senpai?!"_

 _She approached Naegi slowly as she touched his forehead._

" _Just Mikan, don't worry Naegi, I will make sure you feel better"_

 _His red face and shy nod was all the approval she needed as she closed the distance between them and kissed him._

"Stop!"

She shook her head again. She really needed to stop having fantasies while she was awake. Is not like she could play the role of the cool and collected nurse who made the patient fall in love with her, as a result, the patient would keep on getting hurt in small accidents as excuses to keep seeing the nurse until he confessed his feelings which were of course returned by the nurse…

She sighed as she took to look at herself in a mirror near the medicine cabinet.

Greyish eyes with hints of purple and dark purple hair cut unevenly… she had no physical assets that made her look beautiful… she wasn't outgoing like Akane, nor she had a big chest like her, nor she had the cool aura that Peko had. She wasn't like them…

So why would her feelings be even considered in the first place?

"I-I am s-sorry…"

She apologized at her own reflection. She had nothing to offer to the boy that she liked, and she was wondering why she would even dare consider he would like her in such a way. She could feel the tears coming to her eyes when the contact of a hand with her own hand broke her musings.

"Mikan? Are you okay?"

Naegi spoke with worry in his voice; he had been awake for a while, seeing Mikan looking at her own reflection. He saw the forming of tears in her eyes.

"I a-am okay N-Naegi"

She tried to shrug and make it seem like everything was well, but when she saw the eyes of Naegi she knew she couldn't lie to herself. Nor to him.

"I… I was t-thinking… I am ugly"

She spoke the last part as she was sure of herself. She wasn't catching to the eye, she wasn't a relief to sore eyes, she was just more damaging to them.

Yet the voice of Naegi broke her thoughts.

"You are not ugly Mikan, you are cute… I mean…"

Naegi had been brave at the beginning fueled by the wish to make Mikan smile, but now that he had to express his thoughts regarding the nurse looks he was getting red in the face at trying to speak it.

Mikan had been knowing Naegi for a bit over a month already, and she learned he didn't lie. He was an awful liar. She learned it during a game of Old Maid in which she noticed Naegi made expressions when trying to lie. So she knew this reaction was a result of him trying to speak.

She wasn't sure. But she felt she didn't need for him to explain himself. She just trusted him enough as to know that if he said she wasn't ugly, then he honestly believed it. This got her laughing, she couldn't stop. How could she stop herself of laughing when she got to see a flustered Naegi. A Naegi who was flustered, by her!

"Hehehehe!"

She felt her own face getting red as she laughed when she thought about it.

She was cute!

"Mikan?"

Naegi always believed that when Mikan laughed she looked her brightest. She looked happy, and when she was happy, she honestly looked cute. Naegi always thought since they met that her hair looked different in a cool way. It was unique, just like her.

Mikan kept laughing and Naegi could only smile and let himself relax as he still felt a bit sore. Mondo could really deliver one strong punch that was really worthy of someone who was the leader of a biker gang.

Mikan laugh subsided after a while and she looked at Naegi as she took to sit close to the bed again.

"Is your head feeling better? You look tired"

Naegi nodded. He was feeling well on his head, just a bit sore in general.

"I guess I am just tired… not used at getting punched so hard"

Mikan chuckled as she placed a comforting hand on his forehead.

"Don't worry, I will keep you in good health"

Naegi face got a bit red at seeing her comforting expression. Whenever she focused on acting like a nurse she never stuttered nor did her concentration faded. Naegi would dare say there was only one word to describe Mikan when she was acting as a nurse.

Cool.

If he knew how much that word would affect Mikan he wouldn't say it. Alas he didn't know.

"You are cool Mikan"

Mikan was still focused on being a nurse to make sure Naegi was well. The result of the confidence she was in and the words she heard was a smile. A soft smile at Naegi.

"Thank you Naegi, you are cool yourself"

She kept making sure he was well. And once she finished she excused herself to get him water.

Naegi couldn't see her face. But when she left to get water her face was one of alarm as she didn't know what to say or do. Her thoughts were a mess. She looked behind and got her façade in place excusing herself saying she would have to refill the jar.

She had thrown all the water through a window in order to have an empty jar with her.

Once she knew she was out of earshot from Naegi she screamed.

She had been called cool! Naegi thought she was cool! Maybe the idea of being the cool nurse who swept the patient on his feet wasn't so farfetched! Maybe she could actually do it!

" _I don't know what to do anymore Tsukimi…"_

 _She chuckled as she approached Naegi behind and hugged him tightly against her._

" _Just call me Mikan, you know you want too Makoto"_

" _Mikan…"_

Her thoughts had to cut short as she started seeing more scenarios. Some in which she had to keep Naegi sick in purpose to have him in the nurse office under a constant watch until he started to love her back.

She had to remove those ideas and get back with the jar of water with Naegi. Maybe… maybe she could also finally tell him she liked him.

Naegi meanwhile was simply relaxing. He was glad things were going well. Well as well as they could go while being punched by Mondo. But he knew he would be having a date with Akane soon… well, when he told her of the day for the date.

He was glad things were going well. He simply was confused regarding how Peko was actually interested in him too.

Next thing would happen was that Mikan would tell him she was in love with him.

"Naegi could we have a chat?"

He saw Mikan coming to him with a cup of water. He took the cup as he nodded.

"Naegi… what I wanted to say was"

Whatever Mikan was about to say to Naegi got cut off by a loud scream coming from the hall.

"Naegi!"

Both Mikan and Naegi got surprised at the scream. When they looked at the door of the nurse office they got to see Akane rushing by.

"Naegi!"

She threw herself and hugged Naegi tightly.

"I am glad! I heard you got hurt! But you seem well!"

Naegi tried to speak but in the end, he ended up feeling more tight in the hug when Mikan was added in the hug by Akane.

"And you! Mikan thanks for being such a great nurse! You are always taking care of all of us!"

Mikan was in a similar situation as Naegi trying to speak. The good side she was seeing was that she was in a hug. With Naegi. So there wasn't much of a field to get mad about it, plus she had to admit, there was something nice on being hugged by someone who was thankful to her.

When Akane eased on the hug and ended up dropping both of them on the bed she kept chatting with them. She was thankful they were both okay but especially thankful about Mikan taking care of Naegi.

"Do you know I love him! He is the best!"

Akane expressed her feelings in the same outburst that was normal coming from her. But what no one expected was Mikan nodding speaking.

"He is awesome…and c-cute"

It had been silent, it had been brief. But it managed to be clear enough to Naegi and Akane. While Naegi was confused. Akane simply giggled and started asking Mikan about when she met Naegi.

"He.. he is been my friend for over a month now"

Akane smiled and nodded.

"We have been hanging a couple of weeks so far! He is the best isn't he?"

Mikan noticed it wasn't so hard to chat with Akane as she thought before. It was actually rather easy, what's more, it seemed she didn't mind the fact she spoke her thoughts of Naegi. It had escaped out without noticing, but Akane cheerful attitude was so contagious she couldn't keep herself from chatting.

She had been an outcast too long, being bullied so much by others, that someone as Akane who was giggling with her and chatting so amiable was something she couldn't deny. She found herself being trapped in the rhythm in which Akane moved. Which was insanely fast.

"I actually proposed him for us to be a couple a few days back! He even said he wanted to take me on a date"

She smiled brightly and Mikan nodded.

"He did say it…"

Naegi saw a flicker of what seemed to be sadness going through Mikan. But before he could even ask her she started to speak.

"I-I…b-been meaning to invite h-him out myself…"

She looked down for a moment. Akane decided to keep quiet for a moment listening to Mikan.

"B-but I felt scared…"

Mikan seemed sad but she still managed to look at both of them with a happy expression.

"I am happy you love Naegi. I love him too, so why don't both of you go out and be happy?"

With that, she proceeded to push both of them out of the nurse office and lock it.

A stunned Naegi and a surprised Akane looked at the door. Akane looked at Naegi and she nodded. She guessed whatever was going on, was between both of them to solve. So she left to let Naegi speak to her.

He softly knocked on the door of the now locked office.

"Mikan?"

Naegi could her soft sobbing through the door. It was obvious she was crying.

"Mikan? Can you open the door?"

The soft sobbing continued.

Mikan was doing her best to hold her aching heart in place. A part of her wanted to open the door. Another part didn't want to look at Akane and Naegi. Not together.

And then she heard him.

"Is just me out here you know… it looks weird for me to speak to a door"

He tried to use humor to make her open the door. And in a part, it worked to make the soft sobbing stop for a moment as Mikan let out a soft laugh.

Naegi stood by the door waiting. He heard shuffling steps and the door opened. And in the same moment, he was brought inside the office and heard the locking of the door again. Mikan brought him and held him tight. She was hugging her junior with a strength Naegi didn't know she had.

"W-why does it hurts…"

Naegi returned the hug and simply let her speak.

"I d-don't want to f-feel hurt… so why?"

He simply hugged her tighter.

"I am sorry…"

She moved her head in alarm making Naegi feel tickles as he felt her hair close to him.

"Y-you h-haven't d-done nothing bad!"

She broke the hug and placed her hands on top of his shoulders looking at him straight in the eyes. He could see the trails of tears in her eyes yet those eyes didn't look as sad as they looked alarmed.

"Y-you d-didn't hurt me! Y-you are my p-precious friend Naegi!"

She looked alarmed and kept speaking as she held his shoulders with more pressure.

"You s-share lunch with me! You you always got something nice to say to me! You never minded me stuttering! Or said I was ugly!"

Naegi could see her she started to cry again as she spoke.

"You are my friend! But it hurts! Because I don't want to be your friend!"

Naegi looked hurt for a moment. And her alarm got even bigger as she ended up hugging him.

"I want more! B-but that's selfish! A-and I know that's bad!"

She started to sob without control as she kept hugging him.

"I want to be selfish with you!"

In her hug she closed the distance between both of them, leaving no space for anything in between their bodies, and with such closeness, Mikan ended up falling with Naegi at the bed of the nurse office.

The pose they ended up due to the mishaps of Mikan was she ended up holding Naegi hands over his head with hers. He looked exposed with his arms pinned atop and she was over him.

Both were blushing in embarrassment. And while normally Mikan would do everything in her power to get away from such a situation this time she looked at Naegi and decided she wanted to be selfish.

Even a nurse had wishes.

"I-I… I w-want to be t-taken care off too… for s-someone to care of me…"

She breathed in. She steeled her nerves and with a resolve burning with the might of the biggest fire she spoke.

"Will you take care of me? Would you allow this nurse of loving you?"

She went down and kissed Naegi in the cheek. She had been thinking of kissing him in the lips but her nerves and fears came rushing like a tidal wave that made the fire of her resolve fade. Making her go ahead and kiss his cheeks with a lot of softness but not removing her lips from there.

After a few seconds, she stood up, her face red and got Naegi out of the office.

"Just! Think of me! Please!"

The door got locked. And this time Naegi knew he wouldn't be allowed to enter again.

He left while touching his cheek.

Akane was waiting for him in the end of the hall and she said nothing, she went ahead and picked him up in a hug twirling with him.

No words were exchanged. She knew how he was with things like someone confessing to him. And she guessed that was what happened. Mikan was sweet, and she found herself thinking that she was a cute girl. So no wonder why Naegi was confused at being confessed.

Naegi didn't know why. But being hugged by Akane and simply being held by her was warm. As if the way Akane held him was a way to say something so simple and yet so caring. Something one didn't hear often from others, those special words many longed to hear.

"Don't worry… I am here for you"

Once she finished the twirl she held his hand and walked in silence. Since he was better he would need to finish classes for the day.

Naegi spoke something as they walked.

"Thank you Akane"

Akane simply nodded with a bright smile on her face as she looked at Naegi. Still her cheerfulness would not stop as she spoke.

"You are welcome Naegi!"

This made Naegi smile himself and they walked the rest of the path towards his classroom chatting of food and silly stuff. Simple things to make the mind relax, and enjoy the company they were offering each other.

Sometimes. That's all someone can ask.

Someone to enjoy your company. Someone to care for you. Someone who is willing to listen to you.

Naegi didn't know it.

But he was offering exactly that to three girls in school. For he was simply put, a good friend. A good friend the girls kept a secret without really meaning it. A special friend for all of them…

But he was forgetting something.

Three girls wanted him.

So how would that play out?

* * *

 **Cut! Hello! Well, this was insanely fun for me to write. And now! I bid you welcome to!**

 **My storyline!**

Naegi meets: 1. Mikan, 2. Peko and 3. Akane. Confesses first: Akane, Peko, Mikan.

 **Resulting in dating?**

 **Yeah, remember when asked me if this was going to have multiple endings? Well I was thinking on asking you all. If you read Befriending the Two Sides of the Mirror. A fanfic I wrote of Naegi, Fukawa and Touko. You know how I play the multiple pairing card. So I thought on asking you all.**

 **Would you want multiple endings? Would you wish for a particular pairing?**

 **And another note, I love the Danganronpa fandom, I love the ships and in general the games. So I was wondering if any of you want me to write on a particular ship in my usual style, feel free to drop by and share your thoughts. I have always enjoyed hearing what all of you got to say.**


	8. A heart big enough to fit your love

_**It's the moment of truth! You are giving it all. Standing alone, willing to fall, if you can do it. Get up and prove it!**_

 **I love that survivor song you know. So hey! Been a while since we last seen each other, got back, and got this! Yea a bit short of a story. However, I like it this way because it offers a neat conclusion. And as always, feel free to comment, and do feel free to shout your thoughts for what other Dangan Ronpa couple you would want me to give it a try.**

 **Final Chapter.- A heart big enough to fit your love.**

Naegi was in thought, he was outside of the school in the park thinking. He was simply resting in the grass under the shade of a tree. What could he do? What was he supposed to say? Three girls liked him. Three girls who all had wonderful feelings. Girls who had their own thoughts and hopes…

He could hear them all, Mikan, Peko, and Akane….

 _I-I w-want to be t-taken care off too… for s-someone to care of me… will you take care of me?_

 _I only want you to let me make you as happy, as you make me._

 _I will never let you go, don't worry._

He could see their smiles, their eyes, he could pretty much see them around him smiling… why couldn't all of them be happy? Did he have to choose? Was there really a right answer? Was there to begin with something that he could do? Was there an option…

Well, he could choose… but what to do…

His thoughts on the day cut when he heard the sound of someone falling next to him in the grass of the park. Next thing he felt was how whoever got in the grass got closer to him.

"So, what are we thinking?"

Akane cheerful voice was full of glee as she looked at him. Naegi looked at her eyes and found himself simply smiling. He spoke with honesty.

"I am not sure on what to do… you like me, Peko likes me, and Mikan likes me too… and I don't want to hurt anyone…"

He heard Akane humming softly. She took his hand in hers and simply held tightly.

"You know… when I can't choose between a pastry of chocolate, vanilla, and peanut butter… I often take them all. Because I know my appetite is big enough to hold all of them together…"

Naegi eyes opened in surprise. He did not know, well he thought she did eat a lot. He was just surprised. She hummed in thought as if keeping her thoughts in place and kept speaking.

"Who says your heart is not big enough to hold all that love in it? Peko likes you, and Mikan too, and I like both them! What's wrong in all of us being together?"

Naegi didn't know what to say, he tried to look for an answer.

"Well… people don't see it kindly on couples like that… couples are usually of two…"

Akane chuckled and simply gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

"People can mind their own business! I can kick their butts, and Peko can cut their butts, and then Mikan can heal their butts so I can kick them again!"

She looked extremely happy at the concept. Naegi ended up laughing at the whole idea. The result was a pair of laughs resounding, suddenly joined by the sound of a humming and a nervous sound.

"That does sound fun, can't say I have ever cut a butt with my sword… guess I could give it a try, what do you say Mikan?"

Peko came out of the tree in the company of a nervous Mikan. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but there.

Akane immediately stood up and took Peko and Mikan in a hug.

"You came!"

This surprised Naegi as he heard Mikan speaking.

"W-well you said you wanted us to come…."

Peko sighed too.

"You should have been clearer with your message though, I thought you wanted to fight again…"

Akane chuckled before releasing them from the hug and taking Naegi up from the floor; once he was standing, she took all of them in one single hug. It was hard to keep them all from squirming but they could feel how happy Akane was.

"Well! We all like Naegi, and I like both of you! So, I thought we could all share Naegi!"

Mikan and Peko eyes opened in surprise. One a flustered mess, the other actually thinking it. It was fun to say the least when Peko spoke first.

"I… I do not mind it too much… I like Naegi. And I guess I do enjoy the presence of both of you."

Peko smiled softly showing the honestly in her statement. Mikan tried to squirm away from the hug only to feel both her hands being held. One by Naegi, the other by the smiling Peko. Both hands conveying a message.

Relax, and take your time.

The squirming came to a stop and she spoke with her eyes closed.

"I… I guess…. If I can still spend lunch alone with Naegi… I don't mind sharing him…"

Akane spoke too.

"Oh! You still owe me a date Naegi! We need to have one soon!"

Peko laughed softly.

"I don't mind him spending lunch with him as long he keeps being punctual to his tutoring."

Naegi meanwhile simply took notice how Mikan was holding his hand tightly, Peko too, and even Akane hug seemed to get tighter. They were reassuring him. Giving him peace of mind, helping him understand that it was okay. They were all okay with him not choosing one, so long as he kept being with all of them…

"So… you don't mind me not choosing?"

Akane released Naegi and the rest from her hug. A surprise came to him as she took his hand again and placed it on her chest. Naegi was a flustered mess trying to remove it from her chest and seeing his futile intent against her iron grip.

"Naegi, my heart still beats for you. And I doubt it will stop doing it."

Akane smiled showing her big smile and proving to Naegi how honest she was being. When Akane released his hand, both hands of Mikan who looked at him straight in the eyes were holding the same hand that had just gotten free.

"If…. If you don't mind me loving you, I don't mind you loving them too… your heart is big Makoto."

She smiled softly at him and Naegi could see it in her eyes. How hard it was for her to focus. How hard it was for her to confess something so meaningful to her. She was happy.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and took notice of the red and passionate eyes of Peko looking at him.

"You are always making us happy. So please. Let us make you happy, and you see. Making you happy is a hard task to do alone. So I believe we got more chances by trying together."

She looked at Akane who nodded. Mikan also nodded at the words of Peko. She smiled, a beautiful smile that she kept only for Naegi and spoke.

"Will you let us make you happy?"

Naegi didn't know what to say. Mikan kissed his cheek softly giving him space as she spoke.

"P-please?"

Akane got in the middle of Peko and Mikan hugging them all and bringing them together with her, the result the three girls were in front of Naegi looking at him as Akane spoke.

"Come on, that heart of yours can surely fit the love of three beautiful girls in it!"

Naegi just could not believe what he was seeing. Looking at the three of them smiling at him. Mikan looked comfortable, Peko was happy. Akane was full of glee. He couldn't speak. Moreover, he felt whatever he said would not be good enough to answer. He simply nodded.

"I… I believe it has enough space… for so much love…"

Akane cheered and brought Naegi n for another group hug. However, this one felt slightly different. It felt warmer. It might be because they were four people in a hug… but he believed it was because of their honest feelings.

Peko spoke with a small giggle.

"We can always make space if you are in doubt."

The girls chuckled as Naegi got embarrassed as he got in the middle of the hug.

* * *

Makoto Naegi found it hard to try to keep up with things in school. It wasn't in the academics field mind you, his grades had been going upwards ever since Peko started tutoring him. Nor was he getting sick either Akane made sure he had constant exercise and food, and Mikan made sure he did not overdo and rest in the nurse office under her constant vigil.

Oh no, he had a hard time managing through with school because all the guys wanted to know how great it was to be with three girls at the same time.

What is more, their relation was not in secret. Everyone had seen it since day one as Mikan, Peko, and Akane all walked with Naegi wishing him a good day. Of course, all of the girls had given him a kiss in the cheek. Except for Akane who had also offered him to touch her chest to remember her during classes. Mikan and Peko had done a splendid job taking her back to class and remember her that even if they were a couple she didn't need to do that.

She told both girls they could touch her chest too as they were all in a relationship with Naegi, what essentially made them all girlfriends. Needless to say, both girls got flustered and went back to class towing Akane with them much faster than before.

And that brought us to the classroom of the lucky student as he was about to get out for lunch.

"Come on Naegi! How is it? You can tell your best buddy!"

Hagakure was hoping Naegi would spill the beans. However, he had chosen the wrong set of words as a discussion started because of this.

"Best buddy? I am his best buddy!"

Mondo and Ishimaru spoke at the same time, looking at each other in a heated staring match. Fujisaki who was close tugged Naegi sleeve. Naegi looked at Fujisaki hoping the boy would have something calming to tell him.

"I am your best buddy right?"

He sighed. A particular student was hoping such a sigh was one out of despair, but she got disappointed noticing it was one of tiredness… it seemed nothing could move that bastion of hope that Naegi was. Not that she minded. That is what made Naegi cute.

Before Leon, Togami and Fukawa could try to stand up and say how they were Naegi best friends, three girls entered the classroom, Akane looking happy and entering without a care while Peko and Mikan excused themselves before entering.

"Naegi! Come on! Today is our first lunch together! Mikan made lunch and she won't let us eat until you are with us!"

Akane looked happy at him as she waited for him to move. He excused from his friends and walked to them. Ending up in an immediate hug from Akane. She held him tight as she twirled with him.

"I am never letting you go Naegi! I got you now!"

She said it in both a teasing manner and a loving promise. As Akane walked with Naegi in her arms, she took Mikan but failed to get Peko.

"Oh come on Peko! You cannot run from love! If I failed to run from it, I am sure you cannot run from it."

Peko sighed and opened her arms with the acceptance of a death row inmate who knew there was no escape.

The three who were in the hug were blushing. Akane was laughing holding them all together. In the middle of the hug, the girls and those close to them could hear Naegi voice.

"I love you all…"

Needless to say, the girls got embarrassed and even Akane who was not prone to getting shy released them from the hug. She took Naegi hand in her as she ran away.

"Last to the nurse office doesn't get to sit next to Naegi!"

Needless to say, Peko had been caught by surprise as Mikan ran in front of her. It took her a few seconds to understand what had happened and she screamed in mock rage.

"Hey! Don't go hogging Naegi attention all for yourself! We are all a couple!"

Mikan laughed.

"Hehehe! I guess you are not sitting close to Naegi this time Peko!"

Akane was simply going wild through the hallways.

Naegi meanwhile was simply holding her hand and ended up stretching his hand for Mikan to reach. The said girl reached his hand and extended her own to Peko who took it without a doubt. The small chain made from Akane, Naegi, Mikan, and Peko was going to the nurse office all the while laughing and smiling.

Hagakure who was able to see them running and hearing their laughs ended up chuckling.

"You don't need to be psychic to see they are all in love…"

* * *

A small group of four people was in the nurse office. A shy girl who hoped to be a cool nurse was extending her chopstick to an embarrassed lucky student who was sitting in the legs of an athletic girl who wore her emotions in her nonexistent sleeves. All the while, a girl with deep red eyes fitting of a swordswoman was serving them tea for all to share.

No matter who saw them, they could agree with something.

That nurse office was right now full of love and happiness.

In addition, neither of those who were inside would change anything of it.

Akane, Peko, Mikan, and Naegi all said the same thing in a moment of peace in the nurse office.

"I love all of you."

 **The end.**

* * *

 **Ah, fluffiness, too much for my heart. I hope all of you enjoyed this! I might occasionally drop a one shot of each of them in a date. Nevertheless, here you have it! Hope you like it! I thank all of you for your patience, your kind reviews and favorites. Now, as always! Feel free to drop me suggestions on what to give a try.**

 **Be well everyone!**


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